mkfifo: permissions of an existing file are changed after FIFO creation fails

When `mkfifo()` fails (e.g. target already exists), the code shows an error but is missing a `continue;`, so it falls through to `fs::set_permissions` and changes the permissions of the pre-existing file to the default FIFO mode (`0o666` & umask -> `0644`). ``` $ touch secret; chmod 000 secret $ coreutils mkfifo secret fifo3 fifo4 mkfifo: cannot create fifo 'secret': File exists $ ll secret # uutils: prw-r--r-- secret # changed to 644 (GNU leaves it 000) ``` **Impact:** an attacker (or user error) can relax permissions on sensitive owner-only files such as SSH private keys, exposing them to other users. Recommendation: add `continue;` after the error. **Remediation:** Acknowledged by Canonical; fixed in PR #10376. --- _Reported by Zellic in the *uutils coreutils Program Security Assessment* (prepared for Canonical, Jan 20 2026), audited commit `3a07ffc5a9bd4c283e75afa548ba1f1957bad242`. Finding 3.8. Credit: Zellic._ _Upstream tracking issue: https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/issues/10020 · CVE-2026-35341_

Source published

6 Jul 2026 21:53:34 UTC

Source modified

6 Jul 2026 22:11:26 UTC

Observed here

24 Oct 2026 13:19:54 UTC

Source terms

GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0

Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON

This view projects the publisher's source fields for reading; the original JSON retains additional fields and CVE enrichment containers. Attribution: osv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.

CVSS_V3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Publisher rating · HIGH