CVE-2026-41651
PackageKit is a a D-Bus abstraction layer that allows the user to manage packages in a secure way using a cross-distro, cross-architecture A
CVSS
8.8
High
EPSS
0.5%
p37
KEV
—
Exploit Today
11
0-100
Published: Apr 22, 2026 · Last modified: Jul 15, 2026 · CWE-367
PackageKit is a a D-Bus abstraction layer that allows the user to manage packages in a secure way using a cross-distro, cross-architecture API. PackageKit between and including versions 1.0.2 and 1.3.4 is vulnerable to a time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition on transaction flags that allows unprivileged users to install packages as root and thus leads to a local privilege escalation. This is patched in version 1.3.5. A local unprivileged user can install arbitrary RPM packages as root, including executing RPM scriptlets, without authentication. The vulnerability is a TOCTOU race condition on `transaction->cached_transaction_flags` combined with a silent state-machine guard that discards illegal backward transitions while leaving corrupted flags in place. Three bugs exist in `src/pk-transaction.c`: 1. Unconditional flag overwrite (line 4036): `InstallFiles()` writes caller-supplied flags to `transaction->cached_transaction_flags` without checking whether the transaction has already been authorized/started. A second call blindly overwrites the flags even while the transaction is RUNNING. 2. Silent state-transition rejection (lines 873–882): `pk_transaction_set_state()` silently discards backward state transitions (e.g. `RUNNING` → `WAITING_FOR_AUTH`) but the flag overwrite at step 1 already happened. The transaction continues running with corrupted flags. 3. Late flag read at execution time (lines 2273–2277): The scheduler's idle callback reads cached_transaction_flags at dispatch time, not at authorization time. If flags were overwritten between authorization and execution, the backend sees the attacker's flags.
- github.comhttps://github.com/PackageKit/PackageKit/blob/04057883189efa225a7c785591aa87cb299782f8/src/pk-transaction.c#L2273-L2277
- github.comhttps://github.com/PackageKit/PackageKit/blob/04057883189efa225a7c785591aa87cb299782f8/src/pk-transaction.c#L4036
- github.comhttps://github.com/PackageKit/PackageKit/blob/04057883189efa225a7c785591aa87cb299782f8/src/pk-transaction.c#L873-L882
- github.comhttps://github.com/PackageKit/PackageKit/security/advisories/GHSA-f55j-vvr9-69xv
- github.security.telekom.comhttps://github.security.telekom.com/2026/04/pack2theroot-linux-local-privilege-escalation.html
- www.openwall.comhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/04/22/6
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:11504
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:11635
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:17558
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:17560
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:17561
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:18024
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:18031
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:18036
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19141
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19354
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19454
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:19601
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:22146
- access.redhat.comhttps://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-41651