The cp utility in uutils coreutils incorrectly processes character and block device nodes during recursive copy operations (-R). Instead of using mknod to recreate device nodes at the destination, it reads bytes from the source device nodes and writes them as regular files. This breaks the device semantics, causing device nodes to become normal files. This flaw can result in runtime denial of service through disk space exhaustion or process hangs when programs attempt to read from these improperly copied device files.

The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity but impacts availability by causing denial of service conditions. Specifically, replacing device nodes with regular files can lead to disk exhaustion or cause processes to hang when reading from these files. This may disrupt system operations relying on proper device node behavior.

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, avoid using the recursive copy (-R) option of cp in uutils coreutils on directories containing device nodes, or use alternative tools that correctly preserve device nodes during copy operations.