CVE-2026-35376 uutils coreutils chcon Security Bypass and Mandatory Access Control (MAC) Inconsistency via TOCTOU Race Condition
A local attacker can exploit a TOCTOU race in chcon to redirect relabeling operations, bypassing SELinux controls and modifying security labels on sensitive files.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-35376?
CVE-2026-35376 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
A Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) vulnerability exists in the chcon utility of uutils coreutils during recursive operations. The implementation resolves recursive targets using a fresh path lookup (via fts_accpath) rather than binding the traversal and label application to the specific directory state encountered during traversal. Because these operations are not anchored to file descriptors, a local attacker with write access to a directory tree can exploit timing-sensitive rename or symbolic link races to redirect a privileged recursive relabeling operation to unintended files or directories. This vulnerability breaks the hardening expectations for SELinux administration workflows and can lead to the unauthorized modification of security labels on sensitive system objects.
Weakness: CWE-367
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-35376?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including coreutils. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
coreutils crates.io | All versions to 0.8.0 | None |
coreutils crates.io | All versions to 0.8.0 | None |
Products include Uutils Coreutils.
How do I fix CVE-2026-35376?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2026-35376 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-35376 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Uutils coreutils
- CVE-2026-35338 uutils coreutils chmod Path Traversal Bypass of --preserve-root
- CVE-2026-35368 uutils coreutils chroot Local Privilege Escalation and chroot Escape in via Name Service Switch (NSS) Injection
- CVE-2026-35341 uutils coreutils mkfifo Unauthorized Permission Change on Existing Files
- CVE-2026-35352 uutils coreutils mkfifo Privilege Escalation via TOCTOU Race Condition
- CVE-2026-35349 uutils coreutils Path-Based Safety Bypass with --preserve-root
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-35376, GHSA-6g8r-74qp-6859, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-35376.