CVE-2026-39860
Published:April 08, 2026
Updated:April 20, 2026
Nix is a package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. A bug in the fix for CVE-2024-27297 allowed for arbitrary overwrites of files writable by the Nix process orchestrating the builds (typically the Nix daemon running as root in multi-user installations) by following symlinks during fixed-output derivation output registration. This affects sandboxed Linux builds - sandboxed macOS builds are unaffected. The location of the temporary output used for the output copy was located inside the build chroot. A symlink, pointing to an arbitrary location in the filesystem, could be created by the derivation builder at that path. During output registration, the Nix process (running in the host mount namespace) would follow that symlink and overwrite the destination with the derivation's output contents. In multi-user installations, this allows all users able to submit builds to the Nix daemon (allowed-users - defaulting to all users) to gain root privileges by modifying sensitive files. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.34.5, 2.33.4, 2.32.7, 2.31.4, 2.30.4, 2.29.3, and 2.28.6.
Affected Packages
https://github.com/NixOS/nix.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=2.31.0 <2.31.4Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 2.31.4https://github.com/NixOS/nix.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=2.29.0 <2.29.3Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 2.29.3https://github.com/NixOS/nix.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=2.34.0 <2.34.5Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 2.34.5https://github.com/NixOS/nix.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=2.33.0 <2.33.4Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 2.33.4https://github.com/NixOS/nix.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=2.32.0 <2.32.7Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 2.32.7https://github.com/NixOS/nix.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=2.30.0 <2.30.4Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 2.30.4https://github.com/NixOS/nix.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=2.21.0 <2.28.6Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 2.28.6Related Resources (6)
Do you need more information?
Contact UsCVSS v4
Base Score:
9.3
Attack Vector
LOCAL
Attack Complexity
LOW
Attack Requirements
NONE
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Vulnerable System Confidentiality
HIGH
Vulnerable System Integrity
HIGH
Vulnerable System Availability
NONE
Subsequent System Confidentiality
HIGH
Subsequent System Integrity
HIGH
Subsequent System Availability
NONE
CVSS v3
Base Score:
9
Attack Vector
LOCAL
Attack Complexity
LOW
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
CHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
NONE
Weakness Type (CWE)
UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following
EPSS
Base Score:
0.02