CVE-2026-91202 Cockpit-files: cockpit-files: arbitrary file ownership change via symlink following in privileged paste
A local attacker can change arbitrary file ownership via symlink following in Cockpit Files, compromising data integrity and potentially confidentiality.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-91202?
CVE-2026-91202 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, published on 18 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
A flaw was found in cockpit-files. A low-privileged local user can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a directory containing a symbolic link (symlink) and then using the privileged "Paste as owner" function. This allows for arbitrary file ownership changes outside the intended pasted directory, leading to a compromise of data integrity. In some cases, this could also lead to reduced confidentiality if the new ownership grants unauthorized read access. Exploitation requires user interaction to select a non-original owner during the paste operation.
Weakness: CWE-61
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-91202?
Linux distribution packages (1)
cockpit-files openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 44-1.1 |
How do I fix CVE-2026-91202?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2026-91202 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-91202 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-91202, GHSA-2g9g-mfvg-w359, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-91202, openSUSE-SU-2026:11844-1.