CVE-2026-35377 uutils coreutils env Local Denial of Service via Improper Handling of Backslashes in Split-String Mode
A logic error in the uutils coreutils env utility causes local denial of service by incorrectly handling backslashes in split-string mode, breaking script compatibility.
- 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-2026-35377?
CVE-2026-35377 is a low-severity denial of service 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 logic error in the env utility of uutils coreutils causes a failure to correctly parse command-line arguments when utilizing the -S (split-string) option. In GNU env, backslashes within single quotes are treated literally (with the exceptions of \\ and \'). However, the uutils implementation incorrectly attempts to validate these sequences, resulting in an "invalid sequence" error and an immediate process termination with an exit status of 125 when encountering valid but unrecognized sequences like \a or \x. This divergence from GNU behavior breaks compatibility for automated scripts and administrative workflows that rely on standard split-string semantics, leading to a local denial of service for those operations.
Weakness: CWE-20
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-35377?
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-2026-35377?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-35377 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-35377 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-2026-35377, GHSA-5v4g-vw9x-h534, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-35377.