Lucene search
+L

Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-90954

🗓️ 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 4 Views

Flaw in BusyBox dpkg-deb archive extraction allows writing arbitrary files to arbitrary locations.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
circl
Circl
CVE-2026-90954
14 Oct 202617:53
–circl
cve
CVE
CVE-2026-90954
14 Oct 202610:00
–cve
cvelist
Cvelist
CVE-2026-90954 Busybox: busybox: dpkg-deb extraction-root escape via per-ar-member deferred symlink flush
14 Oct 202610:00
–cvelist
debiancve
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-90954
14 Oct 202610:00
–debiancve
euvd
EUVD
EUVD-2026-100951
14 Oct 202610:00
–euvd
mend
Mend
CVE-2026-90954
14 Oct 202610:00
–mend
nvd
NVD
CVE-2026-90954
14 Oct 202610:17
–nvd
osv_debian
osv_debian
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-90954
14 Oct 202610:17
–osv_debian
ptsecurity
Positive Technologies
PT-2026-113747
14 Oct 202600:00
–ptsecurity
rapid7
Rapid7 Vulnerability Database (full)
CVE-2026-90954: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access
14 Oct 202600:00
–rapid7
Rows per page
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(366134);
  script_version("1.3");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/10/17");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-90954");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-90954");

  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.

  - A flaw was found in BusyBox's dpkg-deb archive extraction. The ar archive handler flushes deferred
    symlinks after each archive member, unlike the tar, cpio, and unzip handlers which flush once after the
    last member. A specially crafted .deb archive with two data.tar members can exploit this ordering: the
    first member declares a symlink pointing to an absolute path (e.g., '/'), which is deferred as unsafe but
    flushed after the first member. The second member declares a regular file whose path traverses the now-
    live symlink, resulting in a file being written outside the intended extraction directory. This could
    allow an attacker to write arbitrary files to arbitrary locations when a user extracts a crafted .deb
    package. (CVE-2026-90954)

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-2026-90954");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-90954");
  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:M/Au:N/C:N/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:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-90954");

  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:"2026/10/14");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/10/15");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:22.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:24.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:26.04:-:lts");
  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:canonical:ubuntu_linux:busybox");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:busybox");
  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-12", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-13", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-14", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-14.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-16.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-18.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-20.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-22.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-24.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-26.04");

  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-12": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "12",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-13": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "13",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-14": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "14",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-14.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "14.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-initramfs"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-16.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "16.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-initramfs"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-18.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "18.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-initramfs"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-20.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "20.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-initramfs"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-22.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "22.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-initramfs"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-24.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "24.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-initramfs"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-26.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "26.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "busybox"},
          {"reference": "busybox-initramfs"},
          {"reference": "busybox-static"},
          {"reference": "busybox-syslogd"},
          {"reference": "busybox-udeb"},
          {"reference": "udhcpc"},
          {"reference": "udhcpd"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

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 third_party_support = get_kb_item('Host/OS/extended-third-party');
if (!empty_or_null(third_party_support)) {
    var third_party_vendors = distro_constraints_values['third_party'];
    if (!empty_or_null(third_party_vendors)) {
        var vendor;
        foreach vendor (third_party_vendors) {
            if (vendor == third_party_support) exit(0, 'A third party management patch is available for this vulnerability from ' + vendor + '.\n');
        }
    }
}

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');
}

Data

Build on a solid foundation with Vulners data

We provide the essential building blocks for cybersecurity solutions with comprehensive, structured, and constantly updated vulnerability and exploits data

Api

Power your application with Vulners API

The Vulners REST API offers reliable, high-performance access to vulnerability intelligence, with 99.9% SLA uptime and CDN-backed data delivery for seamless global access

App

Assess and manage vulnerabilities with Vulners tools

Built on top of Vulners' database and SDK, end-user solutions give security professionals and developers lightweight and powerful tools for vulnerability remediation

17 Oct 2026 00:00Current
5.9Medium risk
Vulners AI Score5.9
CVSS 3.17.8
EPSS0.00197
4