Medium severity · published Oct 15, 2026
CVE-2026-55480
CUPS copy_model() creates a predictable PPD tempfile without O_EXCL/O_NOFOLLOW (symlink TOCTOU, lp → root)
5.7
CVSS
0.2%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
OpenPrinting CUPS is an open source printing system for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. Prior to 2.4.20, copy_model() in scheduler/ipp.c creates a predictable TempDir/<connection-number>.ppd path in an lp-group-writable directory and opens it as root without O_EXCL or O_NOFOLLOW. Exploitation requires an lp-group process able to write that directory to predict the connection-derived name and plant a symlink before the root open, while a privileged add-printer or modify-printer operation using a model PPD triggers copy_model(). The reporter treats an existing lp foothold and the privileged operation as distinct prerequisites, while the maintainer assesses high privileges because installing the relevant filter or administering the printer requires root or print-administrator access. If the race succeeds, the root scheduler follows the symlink and truncates or overwrites a root-writable target with generated PPD data, compromising file integrity or availability. This issue is fixed in version 2.4.20.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.2% · higher than 10% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
CU
cups · OpenPrinting
< 2.4.20 · source: vendor, NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-55480
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-55480
Patch
https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups/commit/98adfd855950e806508f961d5438ad32e26aac62
Patch
https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups/commit/f6a11dae0f0f3b748fbca931e237be03ffe8e48e
Release Notes
https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups/releases/tag/v2.4.20
Exploit
https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups/security/advisories/GHSA-jj94-x3qh-ffp9
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