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Fencer Intel
high 7.0

CVE-2026-78409 json

Util-linux: util-linux: x-mount.subdir detached-tree resolution can escape via intermediate symlinks

published 2mo ago modified 7d ago also EUVD-2026-70107 , GHSA-8f2p-47x3-43mv

Unreviewed: the maintainers' own advisory

Published by the maintainers on their GitHub repository util-linux/util-linux. GitHub has not reviewed it into the GitHub Advisory Database, so the affected packages and versions are the maintainers' word. Read the full advisory on GitHub.

cvss
7.0
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.2%
EPSS 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 8%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

The X-mount.subdir option uses a detached-tree fast path on Linux 6.15 and later and passes the configured subdirectory to open_tree() with AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW. That flag does not stop intermediate symlink traversal or keep resolution inside the newly mounted filesystem. A local unprivileged user with an fstab-authorized X-mount.subdir entry can attach a host path at the intended mountpoint.

Patch / fix

  • Red Hat Red Hat Hardened Images 2.42.2-3.4.hum1
  • util-linux Debian 14 2.42.3-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2026-78409

  • uuidd hummingbird 1 2.42.2-3.4.hum1
  • libuuid hummingbird 1 2.42.2-3.4.hum1
  • libblkid hummingbird 1 2.42.2-3.4.hum1
  • libfdisk hummingbird 1 2.42.2-3.4.hum1
  • libmount hummingbird 1 2.42.2-3.4.hum1
  • util-linux hummingbird 1 2.42.2-3.4.hum1
  • liblastlog2 hummingbird 1 2.42.2-3.4.hum1
  • libsmartcols hummingbird 1 2.42.2-3.4.hum1

red hat advisories RHSA-2026:63162

  • util-linux openSUSE Tumbleweed 2.42.3-1.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2026:11870-1

  • util-linux Alpine 3.24 2.42.3-r0

alpine advisories ALPINE-CVE-2026-78409

Alpine secdb © Alpine Linux, from https://secdb.alpinelinux.org via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

Is CVE-2026-78409 in your stack? Fencer shows which of your repositories are affected as soon as an advisory lands, and opens the fix as a pull request.

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Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2026-78409 updated cvss 7.0

util-linux: util-linux: X-mount.subdir detached-tree resolution can escape via intermediate symlinks

  • Red Hat Hardened Images uuidd 2.42.2-3.4.hum1, libuuid 2.42.2-3.4.hum1, libblkid 2.42.2-3.4.hum1, libfdisk 2.42.2-3.4.hum1, libmount 2.42.2-3.4.hum1, util-linux 2.42.2-3.4.hum1, +6 more
    fixed: vendor fix “Upgrade to util-linux v2.41.6, v2.42.3, or later. Until a fix is applied, do not allow unprivileged /etc/fstab entries that specify X-mount.subdir.” RHSA-2026:63162
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 uuidd, libuuid, libblkid, libmount, util-linux Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 uuidd, libuuid, libblkid, libfdisk, libmount, util-linux, +3 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 uuidd, libuuid, libblkid, libfdisk, libmount, util-linux, +6 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 util-linux Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8, openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9 Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
Proof of concept is public
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total
Assessed
2mo ago

Exploit prediction

0.19% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 8% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-11).

Exploits and checks

  • github.com https://github.com/util-linux/util-linux/security/advisories/GHSA-8f2p-47x3-43mv referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.1 7.0 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

  • Red Hat Red Hat Hardened Images
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
  • Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
  • Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access

References

Sources

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

The maintainers of util-linux/util-linux published their own advisory on GitHub. Reviewed sources take precedence over it.