CVE-2026-59996

A flaw was found in OpenSSH, a widely used tool for secure remote access. When a user attempts to copy files between two different remote systems using the scp command, the file might be incorrectly placed in a directory above the intended destination. This unintended file placement could lead to data integrity issues or, in some cases, unauthorized access to sensitive information if files are stored in an exposed location.

Conditions for Exploitation: Exploitation requires specific user actions and conditions, as the vulnerability only triggers when a user explicitly initiates a file copy between two remote destinations using the scp command.

Impact Limitations: The boundaries of the potential impact are highly contained. The flaw only results in unintended file placement within the parent directory of the target destination. It does not inherently lead to arbitrary code execution, denial of service, or privilege escalation, and any potential data exposure relies heavily on the existing permissions of the parent directory.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) versions 6, 7, and 8 are not affected by this issue.

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.

To mitigate this issue, users should avoid performing scp operations directly between two remote destinations. Instead, consider copying files from the first remote host to a local machine, and then from the local machine to the second remote host. Alternatively, use sftp or rsync for remote file transfers, as these utilities are not affected by this specific vulnerability.