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CVE-2026-39860

Nix sandbox escape: file write via symlink at FOD `.tmp` copy destination

9.0 CriticalFix available

Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A bug in the fix for CVE-2024-27297 allowed for arbitrary overwrites of files writable by the Nix process orchestrating the builds (typically the Nix daemon running as root in multi-user installations) by following symlinks during fixed-output derivation output registration. This affects sandboxed Linux builds - sandboxed macOS builds are unaffected. The location of the temporary output used for the output copy was located inside the build chroot. A symlink, pointing to an arbitrary location in the filesystem, could be created by the derivation builder at that path. During output registration, the Nix process (running in the host mount namespace) would follow that symlink and overwrite the destination with the derivation's output contents. In multi-user installations, this allows all users able to submit builds to the Nix daemon (allowed-users - defaulting to all users) to gain root privileges by modifying sensitive files. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.34.5, 2.33.4, 2.32.7, 2.31.4, 2.30.4, 2.29.3, and 2.28.6.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.19%Up 0.2 points since Apr 9, 2026
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 9.0

Nix sandbox escape: file write via symlink at FOD `.tmp` copy destination

Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A bug in the fix for CVE-2024-27297 allowed for arbitrary overwrites of files writable by the Nix process orchestrating the builds (typically the Nix daemon running as root in multi-user installations) by following symlinks during fixed-output derivation output registration. This affects sandboxed Linux builds - sandboxed macOS builds are unaffected. The location of the temporary output used for the output copy was located inside the build chroot. A symlink, pointing to an arbitrary location in the filesystem, could be created by the derivation builder at that path. During output registration, the Nix process (running in the host mount namespace) would follow that symlink and overwrite the destination with the derivation's output contents. In multi-user installations, this allows all users able to submit builds to the Nix daemon (allowed-users - defaulting to all users) to gain root privileges by modifying sensitive files. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.34.5, 2.33.4, 2.32.7, 2.31.4, 2.30.4, 2.29.3, and 2.28.6.

Record
CVE-2026-39860
CVSS 3.1
9.0 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-61
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-20626 9.0

Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A bug in the fix for CVE-2024-27297 allowed for arbitrary overwrites of files writable by the Nix process orchestrating the builds (typically the Nix daemon running as root in multi-user installations) by following symlinks during fixed-output derivation output registration. This affects sandboxed Linux builds - sandboxed macOS builds are unaffected. The location of the temporary output used for the output copy was located inside the build chroot. A symlink, pointing to an arbitrary location in the filesystem, could be created by the derivation builder at that path. During output registration, the Nix process (running in the host mount namespace) would follow that symlink and overwrite the destination with the derivation's output contents. In multi-user installations, this allows all users able to submit builds to the Nix daemon (allowed-users - defaulting to all users) to gain root privileges by modifying sensitive files. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.34.5, 2.33.4, 2.32.7, 2.31.4, 2.30.4, 2.29.3, and 2.28.6.

Record
EUVD-2026-20626
CVSS 3.1
9.0 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 9.0

Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A bug in the fix for CVE-2024-27297 allowed for arbitrary overwrites of files writable by the Nix process orchestrating the builds (typically the Nix daemon running as root in multi-user installations) by following symlinks during fixed-output derivation output registration. This affects sandboxed Linux builds - sandboxed macOS builds are unaffected. The location of the temporary output used for the output copy was located inside the build chroot. A symlink, pointing to an arbitrary location in the filesystem, could be created by the derivation builder at that path. During output registration, the Nix process (running in the host mount namespace) would follow that symlink and overwrite the destination with the derivation's output contents. In multi-user installations, this allows all users able to submit builds to the Nix daemon (allowed-users - defaulting to all users) to gain root privileges by modifying sensitive files. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.34.5, 2.33.4, 2.32.7, 2.31.4, 2.30.4, 2.29.3, and 2.28.6.

Record
CVE-2026-39860
CVSS 3.1
9.0 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
CVSS 3.1
8.4 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-61
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 9.0

Nix sandbox escape: file write via symlink at FOD `.tmp` copy destination

Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A bug in the fix for CVE-2024-27297 allowed for arbitrary overwrites of files writable by the Nix process orchestrating the builds (typically the Nix daemon running as root in multi-user installations) by following symlinks during fixed-output derivation output registration. This affects sandboxed Linux builds - sandboxed macOS builds are unaffected. The location of the temporary output used for the output copy was located inside the build chroot. A symlink, pointing to an arbitrary location in the filesystem, could be created by the derivation builder at that path. During output registration, the Nix process (running in the host mount namespace) would follow that symlink and overwrite the destination with the derivation's output contents. In multi-user installations, this allows all users able to submit builds to the Nix daemon (allowed-users - defaulting to all users) to gain root privileges by modifying sensitive files. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.34.5, 2.33.4, 2.32.7, 2.31.4, 2.30.4, 2.29.3, and 2.28.6.

Record
CVE-2026-39860
CVSS 3.1
9.0 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-61
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2026-39860 8.4

Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A bug in the fix for CVE-2024-27297 allowed for arbitrary overwrites of files writable by the Nix process orchestrating the builds (typically the Nix daemon running as root in multi-user installations) by following symlinks during fixed-output derivation output registration. This affects sandboxed Linux builds - sandboxed macOS builds are unaffected. The location of the temporary output used for the output copy was located inside the build chroot. A symlink, pointing to an arbitrary location in the filesystem, could be created by the derivation builder at that path. During output registration, the Nix process (running in the host mount namespace) would follow that symlink and overwrite the destination with the derivation's output contents. In multi-user installations, this allows all users able to submit builds to the Nix daemon (allowed-users - defaulting to all users) to gain root privileges by modifying sensitive files. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.34.5, 2.33.4, 2.32.7, 2.31.4, 2.30.4, 2.29.3, and 2.28.6.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-39860
CVSS 3.1
8.4 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2026-39860 9.0

Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A bug in the fix for CVE-2024-27297 allowed for arbitrary overwrites of files writable by the Nix process orchestrating the builds (typically the Nix daemon running as root in multi-user installations) by following symlinks during fixed-output derivation output registration. This affects sandboxed Linux builds - sandboxed macOS builds are unaffected. The location of the temporary output used for the output copy was located inside the build chroot. A symlink, pointing to an arbitrary location in the filesystem, could be created by the derivation builder at that path. During output registration, the Nix process (running in the host mount namespace) would follow that symlink and overwrite the destination with the derivation's output contents. In multi-user installations, this allows all users able to submit builds to the Nix daemon (allowed-users - defaulting to all users) to gain root privileges by modifying sensitive files. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.34.5, 2.33.4, 2.32.7, 2.31.4, 2.30.4, 2.29.3, and 2.28.6.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-39860
CVSS 3.1
9.0 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
CVSS 3.1
8.4 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
nix
Debian:13
All versions, plus listed versions
2.26.3+dfsg-12.32.5+dfsg-12.32.5+dfsg-22.34.3+dfsg-12.34.6+dfsg-12.34.8+dfsg-1
None known
nix
Debian:14
before 2.34.6+dfsg-1, plus listed versions
2.26.3+dfsg-12.32.5+dfsg-12.32.5+dfsg-22.34.3+dfsg-1
2.34.6+dfsg-1
nix
Ubuntu:Pro:22.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2.3.10+dfsg1-12.3.10+dfsg1-1build12.6.0+dfsg-22.6.0+dfsg-32.6.0+dfsg-3ubuntu0.1~esm1
None known
nix
Ubuntu:Pro:24.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2.16.1+dfsg-3ubuntu12.18.1+dfsg-1ubuntu12.18.1+dfsg-1ubuntu22.18.1+dfsg-1ubuntu42.18.1+dfsg-1ubuntu52.18.1+dfsg-1ubuntu5+esm2
None known
nix
Ubuntu:25.10
All versions, plus listed versions
2.24.9+dfsg-2ubuntu22.26.3+dfsg-1ubuntu12.26.3+dfsg-1ubuntu22.26.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4
None known
nix
Ubuntu:26.10
All versions, plus listed versions
2.34.3+dfsg-12.34.6+dfsg-12.34.6+dfsg-1build12.34.8+dfsg-12.34.8+dfsg-1build1
None known
nix
Ubuntu:26.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2.26.3+dfsg-1ubuntu42.26.3+dfsg-1ubuntu52.32.5+dfsg-1ubuntu32.32.5+dfsg-2ubuntu12.34.3+dfsg-1
None known

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2026-39860 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.0) in Nixos Nix, published April 8, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.19%, the 9th percentile. Fixed in nix 2.34.6+dfsg-1.

References

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