Back Linuxsecurity

Ubuntu 16.04 OpenSSH Critical File Overwrite Risk USN-8514-1 CVE-2026

Linuxsecurity •LinuxSecurity Advisories • July 6, 2026

OpenSSH could be made to overwrite files as the administrator. Software Description: - openssh: secure shell (SSH) for secure access to remote machines Details: It was discovered that OpenSSH incorrectly handled file permissions when downloading files as root using the legacy scp protocol without the preserve-mode option. An attacker could use this to install setuid or setgid files on a system, possibly leading to privilege escalation.

OpenSSH could be made to overwrite files as the administrator.

Software Description:

- openssh: secure shell (SSH) for secure access to remote machines

It was discovered that OpenSSH incorrectly handled file permissions when

downloading files as root using the legacy scp protocol without the

preserve-mode option. An attacker could use this to install setuid or setgid

files on a system, possibly leading to privilege escalation.

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS openssh-client 1:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm8 Available with Ubuntu Pro In general, a standard system update will make all the necessary changes.

Ubuntu Security Notice USN-8514-1

Get the latest Linux and open source security news straight to your inbox.

The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Critical OpenSSH Vulnerability Allows Privilege Escalation on Ubuntu Systems A critical vulnerability in OpenSSH has been identified, affecting Ubuntu systems, particularly version 16.04. The flaw arises from improper handling of file permissions when downloading files as root using the legacy scp protocol without the preserve-mode option. This vulnerability could allow attackers to install setuid or setgid files, leading to potential privilege escalation. The issue is documented under USN-8514-1 and has been assigned the CVE-2026 identifier. Users are advised to update their systems to mitigate the risk. Ubuntu Pro users benefit from extended security coverage for this vulnerability. A standard system update is recommended for all affected users to ensure protection against exploitation. 3 sources 72

Extracted Entities

Ubuntu 16.04 OpenSSH Critical File Overwrite Risk USN-8514-1 CVE-2026

The full story

Extracted Entities

Attack Types (1)

Companies (1)

CWE Weaknesses (1)

MITRE ATT&CK (1)

Platforms (1)