GHSA-fqf6-gxhh-2xhw json
uutils coreutils: cp/install/mv/ln --suffix alone does not enable backup mode (silent data loss vs GNU)
published 4mo ago modified 4mo ago
- cvss
- —
- not scored
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- —
- no score, EPSS covers CVEs only
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
`determine_backup_mode` in `src/uucore/src/lib/features/backup_control.rs` only checks `--backup`/`-b` and returns `BackupMode::None` when only `--suffix` is given. GNU enables backup mode when `--suffix` is used alone (defaulting to existing/numbered, or `$VERSION_CONTROL`). Affects `cp`, `install`, `mv`, `ln` which share this code.
``` # uutils: no backup created $ coreutils cp --suffix=.bak src dest # dest.bak NOT created # GNU: dest.bak created $ cp --suffix=.bak src dest ```
**Impact:** users/scripts relying on `--suffix` to back up a file before overwrite get silent data loss; breaks GNU compatibility across four utilities. Recommendation: enable backup mode when `--suffix` is present.
_Note: this is primarily a GNU-compatibility/data-safety divergence rather than a classic exploitable vulnerability — review whether it warrants a CVE._
**Remediation:** Acknowledged by Canonical; fixed in PR #9741 (`uucore: use --suffix to enable backup mode`), commit `939ab037a`, merged 2025-12-21. `determine_backup_mode` now has a `--suffix`-alone branch that resolves the mode from `$VERSION_CONTROL` (defaulting to `existing`). Released in **uucore 0.6.0** and later (vulnerable: `< 0.6.0`). Regression tests added in the same file: `test_backup_mode_suffix_without_backup_option` and `test_backup_mode_suffix_without_backup_option_with_env_var`.
--- _Reported by Zellic in the *uutils coreutils Program Security Assessment* (prepared for Canonical, Jan 20 2026), audited commit `3a07ffc5a9bd4c283e75afa548ba1f1957bad242`. Finding 3.7. Credit: Zellic._
Patch / fix
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Check with FencerAffected packages
| ecosystem | package | affected | fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| crates.io | uucore | <0.6.0 |
0.6.0 |
Classification
References
Sources
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-fqf6-gxhh-2xhw
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