CVE-2026-35342
uutils coreutils mktemp Insecure Temporary File Placement via Empty TMPDIR
CVE-2026-35342 is a low vulnerability (CVSS 3.3) in Uutils Coreutils, published April 22, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.13%, the 2nd percentile. Fixed in uu_mktemp 0.6.0.
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
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
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
3.3
uutils coreutils mktemp Insecure Temporary File Placement via Empty TMPDIR
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
- Record
CVE-2026-35342- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-377
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-24971
3.3
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
- Record
EUVD-2026-24971- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2cxp-xq3c-mjxx
3.3
Duplicate Advisory: uutils coreutils' mktemp utility doesn't properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable
Duplicate Advisory
This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-2w8r-9xj7-69j5. This link is maintained to preserve external references.
Original Description
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
- Record
GHSA-2cxp-xq3c-mjxx- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-377
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2w8r-9xj7-69j5
3.3
mktemp: empty TMPDIR creates temp files in CWD instead of /tmp
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
Zellic finding 3.11. Reported in the Zellic uutils coreutils Program Security Assessment (for Canonical, Jan 2026), audited commit 3a07ffc5a9bd4c283e75afa548ba1f1957bad242.
- Record
GHSA-2w8r-9xj7-69j5- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-377
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
3.3
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
- Record
CVE-2026-35342- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-377
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
3.3
uutils coreutils mktemp Insecure Temporary File Placement via Empty TMPDIR
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
- Record
CVE-2026-35342- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-377
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Show 4 moreShow less
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2026-35342
3.3
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-35342- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-2cxp-xq3c-mjxx
3.3
Duplicate Advisory: uutils coreutils' mktemp utility doesn't properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable
Duplicate Advisory
This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-2w8r-9xj7-69j5. This link is maintained to preserve external references.
Original Description
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
- Record
GHSA-2cxp-xq3c-mjxx- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-377
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-2w8r-9xj7-69j5
3.3
mktemp: empty TMPDIR creates temp files in CWD instead of /tmp
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
Zellic finding 3.11. Reported in the Zellic uutils coreutils Program Security Assessment (for Canonical, Jan 2026), audited commit 3a07ffc5a9bd4c283e75afa548ba1f1957bad242.
- Record
GHSA-2w8r-9xj7-69j5- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-377
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2026-35342
3.3
The mktemp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle an empty TMPDIR environment variable. Unlike GNU mktemp, which falls back to /tmp when TMPDIR is an empty string, the uutils implementation treats the empty string as a valid path. This causes temporary files to be created in the current working directory (CWD) instead of the intended secure temporary directory. If the CWD is more permissive or accessible to other users than /tmp, it may lead to unintended information disclosure or unauthorized access to temporary data.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-35342- CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
uu_mktempcrates.io |
before 0.6.0 | 0.6.0 |
rust-coreutilsDebian:12 |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.0.17-20.0.17-30.0.17-40.0.17-50.0.17-6 Show 39 moreShow less0.0.19-10.0.19-20.0.19-30.0.20-10.0.21-10.0.22-10.0.23-10.0.23-20.0.23-30.0.24-10.0.24-20.0.26-10.0.26-20.0.26-30.0.26-40.0.26-50.0.27-10.0.27-20.0.27-30.0.30-10.0.30-20.0.30-30.0.30-3~exp10.0.30-40.10.0-10.11.0-10.11.0-20.12.0-10.6.0-10.7.0-10.8.0-10.8.0-20.8.0-30.8.0-40.8.0-50.8.0-60.9.0-10.9.0-20.9.0-3 |
None known |
rust-coreutilsDebian:13 |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.0.30-20.0.30-30.0.30-3~exp10.0.30-40.10.0-1 Show 14 moreShow less0.11.0-10.11.0-20.12.0-10.6.0-10.7.0-10.8.0-10.8.0-20.8.0-30.8.0-40.8.0-50.8.0-60.9.0-10.9.0-20.9.0-3 |
None known |
rust-coreutilsDebian:14 |
before 0.6.0-1, plus listed versions 0.0.30-20.0.30-30.0.30-3~exp10.0.30-4 |
0.6.0-1 |
rust-coreutilsUbuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.0.20-10.0.22-10.0.23-10.0.23-20.0.23-30.0.24-10.0.24-2 |
None known |
rust-coreutilsUbuntu:25.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.0.30-10.0.30-20.0.30-2ubuntu20.1.0-0ubuntu10.1.0+git20250711.2ba3a33-0ubuntu1 Show 11 moreShow less0.1.0+git20250711.2ba3a33-0ubuntu20.1.0+git20250711.2ba3a33-0ubuntu30.1.0+git20250711.2ba3a33-0ubuntu40.1.0+git20250801.cf79675-0ubuntu10.1.0+git20250813.4af2a84-0ubuntu20.1.0+git20250813.4af2a84-0ubuntu40.1.0+git20250813.4af2a84-0ubuntu60.1.0+git20250813.4af2a84-0ubuntu70.2.2-0ubuntu10.2.2-0ubuntu20.2.2-0ubuntu2.1 |
None known |
History
| When | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-03 | affected | |
| 2026-11-02 | created | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
References
github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/10566
github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.6.0
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35342
github.com/uutils/coreutils/commit/eb25ec328b226d8fbbaa4058bf9187165bf06d51
github.com/advisories/GHSA-2cxp-xq3c-mjxx
github.com/uutils/coreutils/security/advisories/GHSA-2w8r-9xj7-69j5