Description
The recursive mode (-R) of the chmod utility in uutils coreutils incorrectly handles exit codes when processing multiple files. The final return value is determined solely by the success or failure of the last file processed. This allows the command to return an exit code of 0 (success) even if errors were encountered on previous files, such as 'Operation not permitted'. Scripts relying on these exit codes may proceed under a false sense of success while sensitive files remain with restrictive or incorrect permissions.
Affected products
uutils: coreutils
References2
- github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/9793 Issue TrackingPatch
- github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.6.0 Release Notes
Metrics
- CVSS 3.1
-
5.5
MEDIUM
Score source: CNA
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - EPSS — exploit probability
- 0% percentile: 4 · as of 13 November 2026
- CWE
- CWE-253
Could this be exploited in your environment?
A patch closes the known hole. A penetration test shows what an attacker can still reach — with proof.