CVE-2026-35372: Coreutils Uutils Coreutils Has A UNIX Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wq63-vh5h-pr5p
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CVSS 5.0
CWE-61
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-35372 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.0) uutils coreutils has a unix vulnerability (CWE-61: UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following) affecting Coreutils libraries in the crates.io ecosystem. The issue involves uutils coreutils has a unix symbolic link (symlink) following issue. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.8.0.

CVE-2026-35372 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-35372
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wq63-vh5h-pr5p
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.0
CWE Classification CWE-61: UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following
Affected Product Coreutils
Package Ecosystem crates.io
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.0

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-35372

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Coreutils dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

coreutils fixed: 0.8.0 
Upgrade coreutils to 0.8.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for coreutils

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-35372, inspect your project dependencies for Coreutils:

inspect dependencies for coreutils

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Coreutils in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.8.0), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-61: UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following, where the product, when opening a file or directory, does not sufficiently account for when the file is a symbolic link that resolves to a target outside of the intended control sphere. this could allow an attacker to cause the product to operate on unauthorized files. In Coreutils, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

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.

CVE-2026-35372 Affected Coreutils Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.8.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
coreutils
 crates.io
< 0.8.0
0.8.0

References

NVD — CVE-2026-35372 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35372
Coreutils Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/11253
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/commit/394c4b17f2f382b4be9f54389bcb79028de02f39
Coreutils Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/uutils/coreutils
Coreutils Release RELEASE
https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.8.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-35372?
CVE-2026-35372 is a security vulnerability in Coreutils involving uutils coreutils has a UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following issue under CWE-61: UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following.
Which Coreutils versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.8.0 across affected packages: coreutils.
What version fixes CVE-2026-35372?
Upgrading to 0.8.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is coreutils affected?
Yes, coreutils is affected in releases prior to 0.8.0. Upgrade your dependency to 0.8.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-35372?
CVE-2026-35372 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.0 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-35372?
CVE-2026-35372 is classified under CWE-61: UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following (The product, when opening a file or directory, does not sufficiently account for when the file is a symbolic link that resolves to a target outside of the intended control sphere. This could allow an attacker to cause the product to operate on unauthorized files.).
How can I check crates.io dependencies for CVE-2026-35372?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for coreutils'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-wq63-vh5h-pr5p",
  "modified" : "2026-04-30T17:53:37Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-22T18:31:46Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-35372" ],
  "summary" : "uutils coreutils has a UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following issue",
  "details" : "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.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "crates.io",
      "name" : "coreutils"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.8.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35372"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/11253"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/commit/394c4b17f2f382b4be9f54389bcb79028de02f39"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/uutils/coreutils"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.8.0"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-61" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-30T17:53:37Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-22T17:16:41Z"
  }
}