USN-8514-1: OpenSSH vulnerability

Publication date

6 July 2026

Overview

OpenSSH could be made to overwrite files as the administrator.

Releases


Packages

  • 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.

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.

Update instructions

In general, a standard system update will make all the necessary changes.

Learn more about how to get the fixes.

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:

Ubuntu Release Package Version
16.04 LTS xenial openssh-client –  1:7.2p2-4ubuntu2.10+esm8  

Reduce your security exposure

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Have additional questions?

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