TOCTOU Race Condition in Uutils Coreutils Install Utility

CVE-2026-35355

What is CVE-2026-35355?

The install utility in Uutils Coreutils is susceptible to a Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) race condition during the file installation process. This occurs when an existing destination file is unlinked and subsequently recreated without using the O_EXCL flag. A local attacker can exploit this scenario by swapping the file path with a symbolic link in the brief window between the unlink operation and the file's recreation, potentially allowing them to redirect privileged writes and overwrite critical system files.

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