CVE-2021-35938: A symbolic link issue was found in rpm

Q: How do I fix CVE-2021-35938?

rpm: upgrade to 4.18.0; fedora: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; enterprise linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2021-35938 being exploited?

CVE-2021-35938 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2021-35938 affect?

CVE-2021-35938 affects rpm, fedora, enterprise linux. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.7). A symbolic link issue was found in rpm. It occurs when rpm sets the desired permissions and credentials after installing a file. A local unprivileged user could use this flaw to exchange the original file with a symbolic link to a security-

Q: How urgent is CVE-2021-35938?

Priority 44/100. Public exploit reference; On your watchlist

This month

MEDIUM 6.7WATCHLISTUPGRADEMITIGATEMITIGATE

CVE-2021-35938 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.7) affecting rpm, fedora, enterprise linux. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

A symbolic link issue was found in rpm. It occurs when rpm sets the desired permissions and credentials after installing a file. A local unprivileged user could use this flaw to exchange the original file with a symbolic link to a security-critical file and escalate their privileges on the system. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference
On your watchlist

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.7 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	High
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.5% (top 56%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-59
Published	2022-08-25
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): Red Hat, Inc. · Vendor: fedoraproject · redhat · rpm

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2022-08-25 20:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 03:57 UTCUpdated Record last modified

rpm rpm UPGRADE

Affected: < 4.18.0

Fixed in: 4.18.0

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy rpm || rpm -q rpm || rpm --version

2. UPGRADE to 4.18.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade rpm

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade rpm

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

fedoraproject fedora MITIGATE

Affected: 34

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 34

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

redhat enterprise linux MITIGATE

Affected: 7.0 · 8.0 · 9.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 7.0

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2021-35938?

rpm: upgrade to 4.18.0; fedora: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; enterprise linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2021-35938 being exploited?

CVE-2021-35938 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2021-35938 affect?

CVE-2021-35938 affects rpm, fedora, enterprise linux. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.7). A symbolic link issue was found in rpm. It occurs when rpm sets the desired permissions and credentials after installing a file. A local unprivileged user could use this flaw to exchange the original file with a symbolic link to a security-

How urgent is CVE-2021-35938?

Priority 44/100. Public exploit reference; On your watchlist

Related CVEs

CVE-2021-3521 MEDIUM 4.7 UPGRADE There is a flaw in RPM's signature functionality
CVE-2021-3421 MEDIUM 5.5 UPGRADE MITIGATE A flaw was found in the RPM package in the read functionality
CVE-2021-35939 MEDIUM 6.7 UPGRADE MITIGATE It was found that the fix for CVE-2017-7500 and CVE-2017-7501 was incomplete: the check was only implemented f
CVE-2021-35937 MEDIUM 6.4 UPGRADE MITIGATE A race condition vulnerability was found in rpm
CVE-2021-20271 HIGH 7.0 UPGRADE MITIGATE A flaw was found in RPM's signature check functionality when reading a package file

References

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