CVE-2026-35349 | uutils coreutils Path-Based Safety Bypass with --preserve-root

A vulnerability in the rm utility of uutils coreutils allows a bypass of the --preserve-root protection. The implementation uses a path-string check rather than comparing device and inode numbers to identify the root directory. An attacker or accidental user can bypass this safeguard by using a symbolic link that resolves to the root directory (e.g., /tmp/rootlink -> /), potentially leading to the unintended recursive deletion of the entire root filesystem.

Published: 2026-04-22 Last update: 2026-04-27 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2026-35349 is rated Low Risk (27.8/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.01%). Mandatory action: Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2026-35349

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-04-23 0.01%

Full EPSS history (1 record total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2026-35349

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
6.7 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
1.4 5.2 [email protected]
7.7 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
2.5 5.2 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2026-35349

GitHub Security Advisory for CVE-2026-35349

GHSA-v762-x3cf-5mfg · Severity: medium · Ecosystem: rust — uutils coreutils has a Link Following Issue Via rm Utility

OS Trackers for CVE-2026-35349

vendor priority summary link
debian not yet assigned CVE-2026-35349 not yet assigned priority: Debian including 1 source packages (rust-coreutils), 4 status rows across 4 suites (bookworm, forky, sid, trixie): open 2, resolved 2. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-35349
ubuntu medium CVE-2026-35349 medium priority: Ubuntu including 1 source packages (rust-coreutils), 5 status rows across 5 suites (jammy, noble, questing, resolute, upstream): needed 2, DNE 1, not-affected 1, released 1. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-35349

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2026-35349

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
uutils coreutils < 0.7.0 cpe:2.3:a:uutils:coreutils:*:*:*:*:*:rust:*:*

References for CVE-2026-35349

cvelogic Threat Intelligence