CVE-2026-88838
Busybox: busybox: non-root mount option filter bypass allows clearing fstab security restrictions
A flaw was found in BusyBox's mount utility. A non-root user can bypass mount security restrictions set in /etc/fstab by specifying clearing-mask options on the command line. These options pass the non-root flag filter and are merged with fstab options as strings; when the combined options are re-parsed, clearing options can override nosuid, nodev, and noexec protections the administrator intended to enforce.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
5.5
Busybox: busybox: non-root mount option filter bypass allows clearing fstab security restrictions
A flaw was found in BusyBox's mount utility. A non-root user can bypass mount security restrictions set in /etc/fstab by specifying clearing-mask options on the command line. These options pass the non-root flag filter and are merged with fstab options as strings; when the combined options are re-parsed, clearing options can override nosuid, nodev, and noexec protections the administrator intended to enforce.
- Record
CVE-2026-88838- CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-693
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-98898
5.5
A flaw was found in BusyBox's mount utility. A non-root user can bypass mount security restrictions set in /etc/fstab by specifying clearing-mask options on the command line. These options pass the non-root flag filter and are merged with fstab options as strings; when the combined options are re-parsed, clearing options can override nosuid, nodev, and noexec protections the administrator intended to enforce.
- Record
EUVD-2026-98898- CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-wq8x-j557-xr3g
5.5
A flaw was found in BusyBox's mount utility. A non-root user can bypass mount security...
A flaw was found in BusyBox's mount utility. A non-root user can bypass mount security restrictions set in /etc/fstab by specifying clearing-mask options on the command line. These options pass the non-root flag filter and are merged with fstab options as strings; when the combined options are re-parsed, clearing options can override nosuid, nodev, and noexec protections the administrator intended to enforce.
- Record
GHSA-wq8x-j557-xr3g- CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-693
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
5.5
A flaw was found in BusyBox's mount utility. A non-root user can bypass mount security restrictions set in /etc/fstab by specifying clearing-mask options on the command line. These options pass the non-root flag filter and are merged with fstab options as strings; when the combined options are re-parsed, clearing options can override nosuid, nodev, and noexec protections the administrator intended to enforce.
- Record
CVE-2026-88838- CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-693
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBELL-CVE-2026-88838
5.5
- Record
BELL-CVE-2026-88838- CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2026-88838
5.5
A flaw was found in BusyBox's mount utility. A non-root user can bypass mount security restrictions set in /etc/fstab by specifying clearing-mask options on the command line. These options pass the non-root flag filter and are merged with fstab options as strings; when the combined options are re-parsed, clearing options can override nosuid, nodev, and noexec protections the administrator intended to enforce.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-88838- CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2026-88838
5.5
A flaw was found in BusyBox's mount utility. A non-root user can bypass mount security restrictions set in /etc/fstab by specifying clearing-mask options on the command line. These options pass the non-root flag filter and are merged with fstab options as strings; when the combined options are re-parsed, clearing options can override nosuid, nodev, and noexec protections the administrator intended to enforce.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-88838- CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVAZL-108324 No score
CVE-2026-88838 affecting package busybox 1.36.1-28
A flaw was found in BusyBox's mount utility. A non-root user can bypass mount security restrictions set in /etc/fstab by specifying clearing-mask options on the command line. These options pass the non-root flag filter and are merged with fstab options as strings; when the combined options are re-parsed, clearing options can override nosuid, nodev, and noexec protections the administrator intended to enforce.
- Record
AZL-108324- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
busyboxAzure Linux:3 |
through 1.36.1-28 | None known |
busyboxAlpaquita:23 |
1.35.0-r29 and later | None known |
busyboxAlpaquita:25 |
1.37.0-r20 and later | None known |
busyboxAlpaquita:stream |
1.36.1-r1 and later | None known |
busyboxDebian:12 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.35.0-41:1.35.0-4+deb12u11:1.36.0-1~exp11:1.36.1-11:1.36.1-2 Show 23 moreShow less1:1.36.1-31:1.36.1-3.11:1.36.1-41:1.36.1-51:1.36.1-61:1.36.1-6~exp.11:1.36.1-71:1.36.1-81:1.36.1-91:1.37.0-11:1.37.0-101:1.37.0-10.11:1.37.0-21:1.37.0-31:1.37.0-41:1.37.0-51:1.37.0-61:1.37.0-71:1.37.0-81:1.37.0-91:1.38.0-11:1.38.0-21:1.38.0-3 |
None known |
busyboxDebian:13 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.37.0-101:1.37.0-10.11:1.37.0-61:1.37.0-71:1.37.0-8 Show 4 moreShow less1:1.37.0-91:1.38.0-11:1.38.0-21:1.38.0-3 |
None known |
busyboxDebian:14 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.37.0-101:1.37.0-10.11:1.37.0-61:1.37.0-71:1.37.0-8 Show 4 moreShow less1:1.37.0-91:1.38.0-11:1.38.0-21:1.38.0-3 |
None known |
busyboxUbuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.20.0-8.1ubuntu11:1.20.0-9ubuntu11:1.20.0-9ubuntu21:1.21.0-1ubuntu11:1.21.0-1ubuntu1.41:1.21.0-1ubuntu1.4+esm1 |
None known |
busyboxUbuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.22.0-15ubuntu11:1.22.0-15ubuntu1.41:1.22.0-15ubuntu1.4+esm11:1.22.0-15ubuntu1.4+esm2 |
None known |
busyboxUbuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.22.0-19ubuntu21:1.27.2-1ubuntu31:1.27.2-1ubuntu41:1.27.2-2ubuntu21:1.27.2-2ubuntu3 Show 5 moreShow less1:1.27.2-2ubuntu3.11:1.27.2-2ubuntu3.21:1.27.2-2ubuntu3.31:1.27.2-2ubuntu3.41:1.27.2-2ubuntu3.4+esm1 |
None known |
Show 5 moreShow less
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
busyboxUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.30.1-4ubuntu41:1.30.1-4ubuntu51:1.30.1-4ubuntu61:1.30.1-4ubuntu6.11:1.30.1-4ubuntu6.21:1.30.1-4ubuntu6.31:1.30.1-4ubuntu6.41:1.30.1-4ubuntu6.5 |
None known |
busyboxUbuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.30.1-6ubuntu31:1.30.1-7ubuntu11:1.30.1-7ubuntu21:1.30.1-7ubuntu31:1.30.1-7ubuntu3.1 |
None known |
busyboxUbuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.36.1-3ubuntu11:1.36.1-6ubuntu11:1.36.1-6ubuntu31:1.36.1-6ubuntu3.1 |
None known |
busyboxUbuntu:26.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.37.0-7ubuntu11:1.37.0-10.1ubuntu21:1.37.0-10.1ubuntu31:1.38.0-3ubuntu11:1.38.0-3ubuntu31:1.38.0-3ubuntu4 |
None known |
busyboxUbuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1:1.37.0-4ubuntu11:1.37.0-7ubuntu1 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| facts | OSV | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-88838 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) in Red Hat Hardened Images, published October 13, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.11%, the 1st percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-88838
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2531352
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-88838
github.com/advisories/GHSA-wq8x-j557-xr3g
docs.bell-sw.com/security/cves/CVE-2026-88838
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-88838
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-88838
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-88838