Local Root Privilege Escalation and Credential Disclosure in the Linux Kernel
A significant vulnerability, CVE-2026-46333, has been discovered in the Linux kernel that allows local users to escalate privileges and access sensitive files. This flaw, present since November 2016, can lead to severe security risks, including unauthorized command execution as root. Administrators are urged to apply updates immediately to mitigate potential exploits circulating in the wild.
- ▪CVE-2026-46333 is a logic flaw in the Linux kernel's ptrace function that allows unprivileged users to disclose sensitive files and execute commands as root.
- ▪The vulnerability has existed since November 2016 and affects several major Linux distributions.
- ▪Qualys has developed four working exploits for this vulnerability, targeting commonly used binaries like chage and ssh-keysign.
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| Original publisher | Qualys |
| Canonical URL | https://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2026/05/20/cve-2026-46333-local-root-privilege-escalation-and-credential-disclosure-in-the-linux-kernel-ptrace-path |
| Publication time | Sun, 24 May 2026 07:39:14 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-24T08:07:31.211Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-24T08:07:31.211Z |
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CVE-2026-46333: Local Root Privilege Escalation and Credential Disclosure in the Linux Kernel ptrace Path Saeed Abbasi, Senior Manager, Threat Research Unit, Qualys May 22, 2026 - 9 min read Share Table of ContentsWhat Was FoundUnderstanding the Potential Impact, Severity, and ScopeCoordinated Disclosure and Why We Are Publishing NowImmediate ActionTechnical Details of the CVE-2026-46333:AcknowledgmentsQualys QID Coverage for Detecting CVE-2026-46333:CVE-2026-46333 mitigant information:Discover Vulnerable CVE-2026-46333 Assets with Qualys CyberSecurity Asset ManagementEnhancing Your Security Posture with Qualys VMDR to Detect and Remediate CVE-2026-46333 The Qualys Threat Research Unit (TRU) has discovered and published the full advisory for CVE-2026-46333, a logic flaw in the Linux…
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