CVE-2026-79655: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') in Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Description
CVE-2026-79655 is a vulnerability in the sos clean utility within the sos package on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. It allows a local attacker to create or overwrite arbitrary files by exploiting a path traversal issue during tar archive extraction. The flaw arises because symlink and hardlink targets are not properly validated, enabling file writes with the privileges of the sos clean process, which often runs as root.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.8high
Affected software
Red Hat
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Red Hat
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Red Hat
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Red Hat
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Red Hat
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability involves improper link resolution before file access in the sos clean utility of the sos package on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. A crafted malicious tar archive can exploit a path traversal flaw during extraction, where symlink and hardlink targets are not validated correctly. This allows a local attacker to write files to arbitrary locations on the system with the privileges of the sos clean process, potentially root, leading to arbitrary file creation or overwriting.
Potential Impact
An attacker with local access can exploit this vulnerability to create or overwrite files anywhere on the system with the privileges of the sos clean process, which often runs as root. This can lead to full system compromise, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts as indicated by the CVSS score of 7.8 (high severity).
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-79655 for current remediation guidance. Until a patch is applied, restrict local access to trusted users only and avoid running sos clean with elevated privileges if possible.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- redhat
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-25T10:58:31.542Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-79655","vendor":"Red Hat"}]
Threat ID: 6a8da1afacd9273b49464fdf
Added to database: 08/25/2026, 14:07:43 UTC
Last enriched: 10/06/2026, 19:23:05 UTC
Last updated: 10/07/2026, 18:56:13 UTC
Views: 68
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