CVE-2026-35350 uutils coreutils cp Unexpected Privileged Executable Creation with -p

What is CVE-2026-35350?

CVE-2026-35350 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Uutils coreutils, published on 22 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

The cp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle setuid and setgid bits when ownership preservation fails. When copying with the -p (preserve) flag, the utility applies the source mode bits even if the chown operation is unsuccessful. This can result in a user-owned copy retaining original privileged bits, creating unexpected privileged executables that violate local security policies. This differs from GNU cp, which clears these bits when ownership cannot be preserved.

Weakness: CWE-281

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-35350?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including coreutils. It affects 1 product.

Products include Uutils Coreutils.

How do I fix CVE-2026-35350?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2026-35350 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-35350 exists.

Other vulnerabilities in Uutils coreutils

• CVE-2026-35338 uutils coreutils chmod Path Traversal Bypass of --preserve-root High 7.3
• CVE-2026-35368 uutils coreutils chroot Local Privilege Escalation and chroot Escape in via Name Service Switch (NSS) Injection High 7.2
• CVE-2026-35341 uutils coreutils mkfifo Unauthorized Permission Change on Existing Files High 7.1
• CVE-2026-35352 uutils coreutils mkfifo Privilege Escalation via TOCTOU Race Condition High 7.0
• CVE-2026-35349 uutils coreutils Path-Based Safety Bypass with --preserve-root Medium 6.7

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-35350, GHSA-x2wv-9p67-mh9w, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-35350.