CVE-2026-35372: uutils coreutils ln Security Bypass via Improper Handling of the --no-dereference Flag

Severity: medium (CVSS 5.0 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-04-22 · updated 2026-10-26
Weakness: CWE-61

Description

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.

Affected products

Uutils coreutils: before 0.8.0 — fixed in 0.8.0

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Uutils coreutils 0.8.0. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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