uutils coreutils doesn't properly handle setuid and setgid bits when ownership preservation fails
Moderate severity
GitHub Reviewed
Published
Apr 22, 2026
to the GitHub Advisory Database
•
Updated Apr 29, 2026
Description
Published by the National Vulnerability Database
Apr 22, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database
Apr 22, 2026
Reviewed
Apr 29, 2026
Last updated
Apr 29, 2026
The cp utility in uutils coreutils fails to properly handle setuid and setgid bits when ownership preservation fails. When copying with the -p (preserve) flag, the utility applies the source mode bits even if the chown operation is unsuccessful. This can result in a user-owned copy retaining original privileged bits, creating unexpected privileged executables that violate local security policies. This differs from GNU cp, which clears these bits when ownership cannot be preserved.
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