CVE-2026-95521
Description
A command injection flaw was found in rpm. Installing or rebuilding a source RPM whose source or spec file basenames contain a %() macro construct causes rpm to execute an attacker-controlled shell command via popen() while relocating the source file list. This allows arbitrary command execution as the invoking (typically non-root) user, simply by installing, rebuilding, or otherwise processing an untrusted .src.rpm.
Statement
This issue is rated Moderate because, although successful exploitation allows arbitrary command execution as the invoking (typically non-root) user, it requires a user or automated workflow to install or rebuild an untrusted source RPM. The vulnerable code is not exposed as a network service and cannot be triggered without that local processing step.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, Red Hat recommends avoiding the installing or rebuilding of source RPMs from untrusted or unverified sources.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.8 | N/A | 7.8 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality,Integrity,Availability,Non-Repudiation
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; Read Files or Directories; Modify Files or Directories; Read Application Data; Modify Application Data; Hide Activities
Attackers could execute unauthorized operating system commands, which could then be used to disable the product, or read and modify data for which the attacker does not have permissions to access directly. Since the targeted application is directly executing the commands instead of the attacker, any malicious activities may appear to come from the application or the application's owner.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Calif.io for reporting this issue.
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