CVE WatchOct 26, 2026

CVE-2026-35372

A logic error in the ln utility of uutils coreutils allows the utility to dereference a symbolic link target even when the --no-dereference

CVSS

5.0

Medium

EPSS

0.1%

KEV

—

Exploit Today

0-100

Published: Apr 22, 2026 · Last modified: Oct 26, 2026 · CWE-61

EPSS · 30d

0.1%EPSS · 30 days0.2%

2026-10-122026-11-09

Technical 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.

Official references

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