CVE-2026-35349: rm: --preserve-root bypassed via a symlink to / (string check instead of dev/inode)
The --preserve-root check uses a path-string test (path.has_root() && path.parent().is_none()) rather than comparing device/inode. A symlink to / (e.g. /tmp/rootlink -> /) has a parent component, so it passes the check. GNU caches /’s dev/inode at startup and compares every traversed directory against it.
Impact: rm -rf --preserve-root on a path that resolves through a symlink to / bypasses protection and can delete system directories. Recommendation: compare each entered directory’s dev/inode against cached /.
Remediation: Acknowledged by Canonical; fixed in commit 5e5968cd.
Reported by Zellic in the uutils coreutils Program Security Assessment (prepared for Canonical, Jan 20 2026), audited commit 3a07ffc5a9bd4c283e75afa548ba1f1957bad242. Finding 3.44. Credit: Zellic.
References
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-7cr3-h577-g38j
- github.com/uutils/coreutils/commit/5e5968cdbc6618acd6c2402a8a98b503f278835e
- github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/9706
- github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.7.0
- github.com/uutils/coreutils/security/advisories/GHSA-7cr3-h577-g38j
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35349
Code Behaviors & Features
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