Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessCraft patch with absolute-path header
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DeliveryDeliver malicious patch to user or CI workflow
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ExploitVictim applies patch triggering auto-reversal
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ExecutionAbsolute path bypasses missing validation
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ImpactCreate file in arbitrary location as executing user
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires a victim user or an automated workflow (such as a CI/CD or build pipeline) to apply an attacker-controlled patch file with GNU patch; the flaw specifically triggers during automatic patch reversal, where an absolute file path placed in the patch header is accepted instead of rejected, allowing file creation outside the intended working directory. Limiting factors: the attack vector is local (AV:L) and requires user interaction (UI:R) - the attacker cannot initiate it remotely and must get the crafted patch applied; impact is confined to arbitrary file creation (integrity only, I:H) with the permissions of the executing user, with no confidentiality or availability impact and no privilege escalation beyond that user's existing rights. |
| Impact | This is a moderate, not emergency, priority. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5 with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - a LOCAL attack vector that depends on user interaction (a victim or automated workflow applying an attacker-supplied patch), with impact limited to integrity (arbitrary file creation) and no confidentiality or availability loss. No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no PoC or exploit reference are present in the supplied data, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation. The vuln.today Decision label is 'this_month', which aligns with the signals: a credible integrity flaw in a very common utility, but gated behind the social/workflow step of getting a crafted patch applied and limited to the executing user's permissions. Note the PR:N/UI:R combination: the CVSS records no required privileges yet mandates user interaction, so exploitation is 'unauthenticated' in the formal sense but is not attacker-initiated - it hinges on tricking a user or pipeline. The trigger mechanism (missing validation of absolute paths during automatic patch reversal) is described in the source; the conditions under which automatic reversal occurs are not further detailed in the available data and should be confirmed with the Red Hat/GNU advisory. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker crafts a patch file whose header contains an absolute path and distributes it (e.g., via a pull request, shared archive, or dependency) so that a developer or a CI/CD pipeline applies it with GNU patch. Because validation is missing during automatic patch reversal, the absolute path is accepted and a file is written to an arbitrary location with the permissions of the user running patch. No public exploit code or PoC reference is present in the supplied data. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 22, 2026
Arbitrary file creation outside the intended working directory affects users and automated workflows running GNU patch, specifically when automatic patch reversal processes a crafted patch whose header contains an absolute file path that is accepted instead of rejected. The result is limited to integrity impact: files can be created in arbitrary locations, but only with the permissions of the user or pipeline account executing the utility, with no confidentiality or availability impact and no privilege gain beyond that account's existing rights. Exploitation requires a local attack vector and user interaction - a victim or a CI/CD pipeline must apply the attacker-supplied patch - and no public exploit, PoC reference, or CISA KEV entry is present in the available data; the assigning vendor is Red Hat, with RHEL 6 through 10 and Red Hat Hardened Images listed as affected.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released fixed version is identified in the available data; track the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-115207 and bug https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2558775 for updated GNU patch packages across RHEL 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and Red Hat Hardened Images, and apply them when issued. Until then, treat patch files as untrusted input: inspect patch headers for absolute or parent-traversal paths before applying, and avoid or tightly restrict automatic reversal (for example --reverse and implicit reversal of already-applied hunks) on patches from external contributors. In CI/CD and build pipelines, apply patches inside a container or sandbox and as a low-privilege account so any escaped file creation lands with minimal permissions. These controls reduce exposure but do not correct the missing path validation, and they carry review overhead and pipeline changes; the vendor advisory remains the authoritative fix source.
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Technical ContextAI · show details
GNU patch is the long-standing command-line utility for applying unified diff files, and its automatic reversal logic (used with --reverse or when patch detects a previously applied hunk) parses file names from the patch header. The root cause is classified as CWE-22, improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, because during that reversal path the utility fails to validate file names, so an absolute path in the header is honored rather than stripped or refused, and file creation escapes the working directory. The supplied CPE data identifies Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 plus Red Hat Hardened Images as the packaged distributions in scope; it does not enumerate specific GNU patch upstream release numbers, so the precise vulnerable version range is not confirmed from the available sources. The trigger condition is deployment-specific: the flaw surfaces on the automatic-reversal path when an absolute path appears in the header, while ordinary forward application of patches is not described as affected in the supplied evidence. With a CVSS 3.1 vector of AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N, the scoring reflects attacker-controlled input delivered through a locally applied file with required user participation, and the technical mechanism beyond that is not described in the available sources.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Local because a crafted patch must be applied; UI:R and PR:N since any user applying it is affected without prior auth; I:H for arbitrary file creation, C:N/A:N as only integrity is impacted.
Primary rating from Vendor (redhat).
CVSS VectorVendor: redhat
DescriptionCVE.org
A flaw was found in GNU patch. An attacker can achieve arbitrary file creation outside the intended working directory by enticing a user or automated workflow to apply a specially crafted patch file. Due to missing validation during automatic patch reversal, absolute file paths in patch headers are accepted rather than rejected. Consequently, the utility can create files in arbitrary locations with the permissions of the executing user.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.
Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org
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