GHSA-FQF6-GXHH-2XHW
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-07-07 19:36 – Updated: 2026-07-07 19:36determine_backup_mode in src/uucore/src/lib/features/backup_control.rs only checks --backup/-b and returns BackupMode::None when only --suffix is given. GNU enables backup mode when --suffix is used alone (defaulting to existing/numbered, or $VERSION_CONTROL). Affects cp, install, mv, ln which share this code.
# uutils: no backup created
$ coreutils cp --suffix=.bak src dest # dest.bak NOT created
# GNU: dest.bak created
$ cp --suffix=.bak src dest
Impact: users/scripts relying on --suffix to back up a file before overwrite get silent data loss; breaks GNU compatibility across four utilities. Recommendation: enable backup mode when --suffix is present.
Note: this is primarily a GNU-compatibility/data-safety divergence rather than a classic exploitable vulnerability — review whether it warrants a CVE.
Remediation: Acknowledged by Canonical; fixed in PR #9741 (uucore: use --suffix to enable backup mode), commit 939ab037a, merged 2025-12-21. determine_backup_mode now has a --suffix-alone branch that resolves the mode from $VERSION_CONTROL (defaulting to existing). Released in uucore 0.6.0 and later (vulnerable: < 0.6.0). Regression tests added in the same file: test_backup_mode_suffix_without_backup_option and test_backup_mode_suffix_without_backup_option_with_env_var.
Reported by Zellic in the uutils coreutils Program Security Assessment (prepared for Canonical, Jan 20 2026), audited commit 3a07ffc5a9bd4c283e75afa548ba1f1957bad242. Finding 3.7. Credit: Zellic.
{
"affected": [
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "crates.io",
"name": "uucore"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "0.6.0"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-440",
"CWE-693"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2026-07-07T19:36:17Z",
"nvd_published_at": null,
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "`determine_backup_mode` in `src/uucore/src/lib/features/backup_control.rs` only checks `--backup`/`-b` and returns `BackupMode::None` when only `--suffix` is given. GNU enables backup mode when `--suffix` is used alone (defaulting to existing/numbered, or `$VERSION_CONTROL`). Affects `cp`, `install`, `mv`, `ln` which share this code.\n\n```\n# uutils: no backup created\n$ coreutils cp --suffix=.bak src dest # dest.bak NOT created\n# GNU: dest.bak created\n$ cp --suffix=.bak src dest\n```\n\n**Impact:** users/scripts relying on `--suffix` to back up a file before overwrite get silent data loss; breaks GNU compatibility across four utilities. Recommendation: enable backup mode when `--suffix` is present.\n\n_Note: this is primarily a GNU-compatibility/data-safety divergence rather than a classic exploitable vulnerability \u2014 review whether it warrants a CVE._\n\n**Remediation:** Acknowledged by Canonical; fixed in PR #9741 (`uucore: use --suffix to enable backup mode`), commit `939ab037a`, merged 2025-12-21. `determine_backup_mode` now has a `--suffix`-alone branch that resolves the mode from `$VERSION_CONTROL` (defaulting to `existing`). Released in **uucore 0.6.0** and later (vulnerable: `\u003c 0.6.0`). Regression tests added in the same file: `test_backup_mode_suffix_without_backup_option` and `test_backup_mode_suffix_without_backup_option_with_env_var`.\n\n---\n_Reported by Zellic in the *uutils coreutils Program Security Assessment* (prepared for Canonical, Jan 20 2026), audited commit `3a07ffc5a9bd4c283e75afa548ba1f1957bad242`. Finding 3.7. Credit: Zellic._",
"id": "GHSA-fqf6-gxhh-2xhw",
"modified": "2026-07-07T19:36:17Z",
"published": "2026-07-07T19:36:17Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/security/advisories/GHSA-fqf6-gxhh-2xhw"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/9741"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/uutils/coreutils"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N",
"type": "CVSS_V4"
}
],
"summary": "uutils coreutils: cp/install/mv/ln --suffix alone does not enable backup mode (silent data loss vs GNU)"
}
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