CVE-2026-54230
abrt: event handler scripts follow symlinks when writing output files, allowing arbitrary file overwrites
Severity
ImportantRed Hat Product Security
CVSS 3.1
Review impact separately from score.
Published · May 4, 2026
Updated · September 21, 2026
Description
A symlink following vulnerability was found in the ABRT post-create event handler scripts in libreport. Event scripts write output files using shell redirections without the O_NOFOLLOW flag. If the target file is replaced with a symlink, the shell process running as root follows the symlink and writes content to the symlink target, allowing arbitrary file overwrites on the system.
Statement
Red Hat is aware of this vulnerability affecting ABRT event handler scripts in libreport. ABRT was deprecated in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and is not available in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 or later. Users of RHEL 8 who have ABRT installed are encouraged to disable or remove it. Fedora users are affected on Fedora 43 and Fedora 44 where ABRT is still shipped.
CVSS score applicability
The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.
Mitigation
The following practices would help for avoiding exposure and mitigate this flaw:
- Disable or remove ABRT if it is not required. On RHEL 8 systems where ABRT is installed, it can be disabled with: systemctl disable --now abrtd.service abrt-journal-core.service abrt-oops.service abrt-xorg.service
- On Fedora systems, consider using systemd-coredump instead of ABRT for crash handling
- Restrict local user access to systems running ABRT, as this vulnerability requires local access
CVSS / CWE
CVSS 3.1 · 7CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE-59 · Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')