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CVE-2026-4878

Libcap: libcap: privilege escalation via toctou race condition in cap_set_file()

No known exploitation. EPSS puts it in the 3rd percentile. A vendor fix is available.

CVSS 3.16.7MediumEPSS percentile3rd0.1% chance in 30 daysCISA KEVNot listedNo confirmed exploitation
No public exploit knownFixVendor fixNo build named by the sources

Published Updated Sources: CVE.org, NVD

NVD CVE.org

What to do

The vendor has published a fix. Version details are below where the sources state them.

Check it yourselfA free OpenVAS check exists for this CVE. Run it against your hosts.Is your organisation exposed?Request an assessment to establish which checks fit your systems.

What it is

From the CVE record

A flaw was found in libcap. A local unprivileged user can exploit a Time-of-check-to-time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition in the `cap_set_file()` function. This allows an attacker with write access to a parent directory to redirect file capability updates to an attacker-controlled file. By doing so, capabilities can be injected into or stripped from unintended executables, leading to privilege escalation.

In plain language

No plain-language summary for this CVE yet.

Exploitation

Where each signal puts this CVE on the scale from published to confirmed exploited.

EPSS3rd
CISA KEV

Not in the catalog. CISA has not confirmed exploitation.

Public exploits

No public exploit or proof of concept found in the sources we track.

EPSS

0.1% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, which ranks it in the 3rd percentile of scored CVEs.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST.org. A probability, not a confirmation.

Lifecycle

151 events over 153 days, from the signal feeds we watch.

  1. Patch availableworkaround available, record updated
  2. Patch availablepatch available, workaround available, workaround available, record updated, record updated
  3. Patch availablepatch available, workaround available, workaround available, record updated, record updated
  4. Patch availablepatch available, workaround available, workaround available, record updated, record updated
  5. Patch availableworkaround available, record updated
  6. Patch availableworkaround available, record updated

Affected products

And 24 more affected products. See all after sign-in

Technical detail

CVSS 3.1 vector

Open in the CVSS calculator

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Scored 6.7 by NVD.

How it is reached

  • Attack Vector LocalRequires local access to the vulnerable system (e.g. local login, malicious file)
  • Attack Complexity HighRequires specific conditions like a race condition or non-default configuration
  • Privileges Required LowRequires basic user-level privileges
  • User Interaction RequiredA user must click a link, open a file, or perform some action

Scope

  • Scope UnchangedImpact is limited to the vulnerable component itself

Impact if exploited

  • Confidentiality HighTotal information disclosure — all data in the component is compromised
  • Integrity HighTotal loss of integrity — attacker can modify any data in the component
  • Availability HighTotal denial of service — the component is completely unavailable

Weaknesses

ATT&CK techniques

Mapped from the weaknesses above (CWE to ATT&CK), not observed in attacks.

Sources

References in the record

And 39 more references. See all after sign-in

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