Ubuntu Patches APT Vulnerability Allowing Root Access via Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
Ubuntu has released updates addressing a flaw in the APT package manager that could let an attacker positioned for a man-in-the-middle attack gain root privileges on affected systems. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-109518, enables manipulation of HTTP traffic between a client and archive servers to deliver a malicious .deb package. Exploitation requires the client to retry a failed download, a behavior that is disabled by default starting with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and later releases. Debian issued patches for the same issue earlier. While digital signatures are intended to prevent such attacks, the flaw allows APT to install the malicious package even when signature verification fails. Scripts inside installed .deb packages execute with root privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Security.NLNov 5, 2026Translated from NL