uutils coreutils has a UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following issue

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

5.0 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2026-35372: 0.14% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 3.25 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

A logic error in the ln utility of uutils coreutils allows the utility to dereference a symbolic link target even when the --no-dereference (or -n) flag is explicitly provided. The implementation previously only honored the "no-dereference" intent if the --force (overwrite) mode was also enabled. This flaw causes ln to follow a symbolic link that points to a directory and create new links inside that target directory instead of treating the symbolic link itself as the destination. In environments where a privileged user or system script uses ln -n to update a symlink, a local attacker could manipulate existing symbolic links to redirect file creation into sensitive directories, potentially leading to unauthorized file creation or system misconfiguration.

Published by the source

22 Apr 2026, 18:31 UTC

Last modified by the source

30 Apr 2026, 17:53 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:42 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-wq63-vh5h-pr5p

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-35372

Advisory: uutils coreutils has a UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following issue
IDs: CVE-2026-35372, GHSA-wq63-vh5h-pr5p
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-35372 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:42 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.0)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: coreutils 0.8.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- crates.io coreutils: affected < 0.8.0; fixed in 0.8.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- crates.io coreutils: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on coreutils.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-wq63-vh5h-pr5p (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-wq63-vh5h-pr5p lists affected ranges: crates.io coreutils >=0 <0.8.0)

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