Util Linux

util-linux is a random collection of Linux utilities. In util-linux 2.39 through 2.41.4 and 2.42 through 2.42.1, the SUID `mount` utility's `hook_owner.c` post-mount hook performs path-based `chmod()` and `lchown()` operations on a previously validated mount target. A local low-privileged user authorized by an `/etc/fstab` entry with `user` or `users` and an `X-mount.mode`, `X-mount.owner`, or `X-mount.group` option can use `renameat2(RENAME_EXCHANGE)` to race a writable ancestor of the target and redirect the privileged ownership or mode change to a root-owned path, potentially gaining root privileges. This issue is fixed in 2.41.5 and 2.42.2.

Published: 2026-10-14T14:47:25.523Z
Updated: 2026-10-14T18:26:36.386Z

util-linux is a random collection of Linux utilities. Prior to version 2.41.4, a TOCTOU (Time-of-Check-Time-of-Use) vulnerability has been identified in the SUID binary /usr/bin/mount from util-linux. The mount binary, when setting up loop devices, validates the source file path with user privileges via fork() + setuid() + realpath(), but subsequently re-canonicalizes and opens it with root privileges (euid=0) without verifying that the path has not been replaced between both operations. Neither O_NOFOLLOW, nor inode comparison, nor post-open fstat() are employed. This allows a local unprivileged user to replace the source file with a symlink pointing to any root-owned file or device during the race window, causing the SUID binary to open and mount it as root. Exploitation requires an /etc/fstab entry with user,loop options whose path points to a directory where the attacker has write permission, and that /usr/bin/mount has the SUID bit set (the default configuration on virtually all Linux distributions). The impact is unauthorized read access to root-protected files and block devices, including backup images, disk volumes, and any file containing a valid filesystem. This issue has been patched in version 2.41.4.

Published: 2026-04-03T21:23:00.984Z
Updated: 2026-04-06T15:42:35.774Z

A flaw was found in util-linux. This vulnerability allows a heap buffer overread when processing 256-byte usernames, specifically within the `setpwnam()` function, affecting SUID (Set User ID) login-utils utilities writing to the password database.

Published: 2025-12-05T16:22:09.283Z
Updated: 2026-11-05T14:17:35.292Z