Uutils: >> Coreutils >> 0.2.0 Security Vulnerabilities
The comm utility in uutils coreutils incorrectly consumes data from non-regular file inputs before performing comparison operations. The are_files_identical function opens and reads from both input paths to compare content without first verifying if the paths refer to regular files. If an input path is a FIFO or a pipe, this pre-read operation drains the stream, leading to silent data loss before the actual comparison logic is executed. Additionally, the utility may hang indefinitely if it attempts to pre-read from infinite streams like /dev/zero.
CVSS Score
4.4
EPSS Score
0.0
Published
2026-04-22
A vulnerability in the chmod utility of uutils coreutils allows users to bypass the --preserve-root safety mechanism. The implementation only validates if the target path is literally / and does not canonicalize the path. An attacker or accidental user can use path variants such as /../ or symbolic links to execute destructive recursive operations (e.g., chmod -R 000) on the entire root filesystem, leading to system-wide permission loss and potential complete system breakdown.
CVSS Score
7.3
EPSS Score
0.0
Published
2026-04-22
The recursive mode (-R) of the chmod utility in uutils coreutils incorrectly handles exit codes when processing multiple files. The final return value is determined solely by the success or failure of the last file processed. This allows the command to return an exit code of 0 (success) even if errors were encountered on previous files, such as 'Operation not permitted'. Scripts relying on these exit codes may proceed under a false sense of success while sensitive files remain with restrictive or incorrect permissions.
CVSS Score
5.5
EPSS Score
0.0
Published
2026-04-22
A flaw in the ChownExecutor used by uutils coreutils chown and chgrp causes the utilities to return an incorrect exit code during recursive operations. The final exit code is determined only by the last file processed. If the last operation succeeds, the command returns 0 even if earlier ownership or group changes failed due to permission errors. This can lead to security misconfigurations where administrative scripts incorrectly assume that ownership has been successfully transferred across a directory tree.
CVSS Score
5.5
EPSS Score
0.0
Published
2026-04-22
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