CVE-2026-91203
Cockpit-files: cockpit-files: arbitrary file ownership and permission modification via symlink race condition
A flaw was found in cockpit-files. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to exploit a timing issue, known as a symlink race condition, during privileged file operations such as changing file ownership or permissions. By manipulating directory entries and winning this race, the attacker can redirect these operations to unintended files. This could lead to unauthorized changes in file ownership and permissions on arbitrary files, potentially compromising system integrity and availability by altering system or application states or rendering services unusable.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
6.0
Cockpit-files: cockpit-files: arbitrary file ownership and permission modification via symlink race condition
A flaw was found in cockpit-files. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to exploit a timing issue, known as a symlink race condition, during privileged file operations such as changing file ownership or permissions. By manipulating directory entries and winning this race, the attacker can redirect these operations to unintended files. This could lead to unauthorized changes in file ownership and permissions on arbitrary files, potentially compromising system integrity and availability by altering system or application states or rendering services unusable.
- Record
CVE-2026-91203- CVSS 3.1
- 6.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-363
- Updated
- 2026-11-06
EUVDEUVD-2026-83296
6.0
A flaw was found in cockpit-files. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to exploit a timing issue, known as a symlink race condition, during privileged file operations such as changing file ownership or permissions. By manipulating directory entries and winning this race, the attacker can redirect these operations to unintended files. This could lead to unauthorized changes in file ownership and permissions on arbitrary files, potentially compromising system integrity and availability by altering system or application states or rendering services unusable.
- Record
EUVD-2026-83296- CVSS 3.1
- 6.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-06
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2wj2-6xq8-f5rx
6.0
A flaw was found in cockpit-files. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to exploit a timing...
A flaw was found in cockpit-files. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to exploit a timing issue, known as a symlink race condition, during privileged file operations such as changing file ownership or permissions. By manipulating directory entries and winning this race, the attacker can redirect these operations to unintended files. This could lead to unauthorized changes in file ownership and permissions on arbitrary files, potentially compromising system integrity and availability by altering system or application states or rendering services unusable.
- Record
GHSA-2wj2-6xq8-f5rx- CVSS 3.1
- 6.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-363
- Updated
- 2026-11-06
NVD
6.0
A flaw was found in cockpit-files. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to exploit a timing issue, known as a symlink race condition, during privileged file operations such as changing file ownership or permissions. By manipulating directory entries and winning this race, the attacker can redirect these operations to unintended files. This could lead to unauthorized changes in file ownership and permissions on arbitrary files, potentially compromising system integrity and availability by altering system or application states or rendering services unusable.
- Record
CVE-2026-91203- CVSS 3.1
- 6.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-363
- Updated
- 2026-11-06
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2026-91203
6.0
A flaw was found in cockpit-files. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to exploit a timing issue, known as a symlink race condition, during privileged file operations such as changing file ownership or permissions. By manipulating directory entries and winning this race, the attacker can redirect these operations to unintended files. This could lead to unauthorized changes in file ownership and permissions on arbitrary files, potentially compromising system integrity and availability by altering system or application states or rendering services unusable.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-91203- CVSS 3.1
- 6.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVRLSA-2026:95570
6.1
Moderate: cockpit-files security update
A filesystem browser for Cockpit
Security Fix(es):
-
cockpit-files: cockpit-files: Arbitrary file ownership and permission modification via symlink race condition (CVE-2026-91203)
-
cockpit-files: cockpit-files: Arbitrary file ownership change via symlink following in privileged paste (CVE-2026-91202)
-
cockpit-files: cockpit-files: Local attacker can hijack file ownership via symlink race (CVE-2026-91205)
For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.
- Record
RLSA-2026:95570- CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-06
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2026-91203
6.0
A flaw was found in cockpit-files. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to exploit a timing issue, known as a symlink race condition, during privileged file operations such as changing file ownership or permissions. By manipulating directory entries and winning this race, the attacker can redirect these operations to unintended files. This could lead to unauthorized changes in file ownership and permissions on arbitrary files, potentially compromising system integrity and availability by altering system or application states or rendering services unusable.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-91203- CVSS 3.1
- 6.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVALSA-2026:95570 No score
Moderate: cockpit-files security update
A filesystem browser for Cockpit
Security Fix(es):
- cockpit-files: cockpit-files: Arbitrary file ownership and permission modification via symlink race condition (CVE-2026-91203)
- cockpit-files: cockpit-files: Arbitrary file ownership change via symlink following in privileged paste (CVE-2026-91202)
- cockpit-files: cockpit-files: Local attacker can hijack file ownership via symlink race (CVE-2026-91205)
For more details about the security issue(s), including the impact, a CVSS score, acknowledgments, and other related information, refer to the CVE page(s) listed in the References section.
- Record
ALSA-2026:95570- Updated
- 2026-11-06
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
cockpit-filesAlmaLinux:10 From an advisory covering 3 CVEs |
before 36.1-1.el10_2 | 36.1-1.el10_2 |
cockpit-filesDebian:14 |
before 45-1, plus listed versions 36-136-1~bpo13+138-139-140-1 Show 6 moreShow less41-143-143-1~bpo13+144-144-1~bpo13+145-1~bpo13+1 |
45-1 |
cockpit-filesRocky Linux:10 From an advisory covering 3 CVEs |
before 0:36.1-1.el10_2 | 0:36.1-1.el10_2 |
cockpit-filesUbuntu:26.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 39-140-141-143-144-1 |
None known |
cockpit-filesUbuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 36-139-1 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, aliases, references | OSV | |
| affected, aliases, references | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV | |
| facts, references | CVE List | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-91203 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.0) in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, published September 18, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.15%, the 4th percentile. Fixed in cockpit-files 45-1.
References
access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:95570
access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-91203
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2465632
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-91203
github.com/advisories/GHSA-2wj2-6xq8-f5rx
access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-91202
Show 11 moreShow less
access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-91205
bugzilla.redhat.com/2465632
bugzilla.redhat.com/2465834
bugzilla.redhat.com/2466442
errata.almalinux.org/10/ALSA-2026-95570.html
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-91203
errata.rockylinux.org/RLSA-2026:95570
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2465834
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2466442
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-91203
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-91203