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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-41991

🗓️ 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 2 Views

CVE-2026-41991: gzip gzexe flaw enables TOCTOU file overwrite when mktemp is missing.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
ATTACKERKB
CVE-2026-41991
29 Jun 202610:15
attackerkb
ATTACKERKB
CVE-2026-41992
29 Jun 202610:15
attackerkb
Circl
CVE-2026-41991
29 Jun 202613:25
circl
CVE
CVE-2026-41991
29 Jun 202610:15
cve
Cvelist
CVE-2026-41991 Predictable Temporary File in GNU gzip
29 Jun 202610:15
cvelist
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-41991
29 Jun 202610:15
debiancve
EUVD
EUVD-2026-40068
29 Jun 202610:15
euvd
EUVD
EUVD-2026-40069
29 Jun 202610:15
euvd
NVD
CVE-2026-41991
29 Jun 202612:16
nvd
OSV
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-41991
29 Jun 202612:16
osv
Rows per page
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(323739);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/06/30");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-41991");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-41991");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - GNU gzip contains a vulnerability in the gzexe utility related to insecure temporary file handling. When
    the mktemp utility is not available in the user's PATH, gzexe falls back to constructing a temporary file
    path based solely on the process ID (PID). This predictable filename is created without exclusive access
    or existence checks. A local attacker can precreate the predicted temporary file path as a symbolic link
    pointing to an arbitrary file writable by the victim. When gzexe runs, it follows the symlink and
    overwrites the target file, resulting in a timeofcheck to timeofuse (TOCTOU) condition that allows
    arbitrary file overwrite. This issue has been fixed in the commit 4e6f8b24ab823146ab8776f0b7fe486ab34d4269
    (CVE-2026-41991)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-41991");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss4_vector", value:"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss4_threat_vector", value:"CVSS:4.0/E:U");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-41991");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/06/29");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/06/30");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:11.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:12.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:13.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:14.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:gzip");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-11", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-12", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-13", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-14");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-11": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "11",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "gzip"},
          {"reference": "gzip-win32"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-12": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "12",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "gzip"},
          {"reference": "gzip-win32"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-13": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "13",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "gzip"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-14": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "14",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "gzip"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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30 Jun 2026 00:00Current
6Medium risk
Vulners AI Score6
CVSS 42
EPSS0.00117
SSVC
2