9-Year-Old Linux Kernel Flaw Enables Root Command Execution on Major Distros

A nine-year-old Linux kernel vulnerability (CVE-2026-46333, CVSS 5.5) in the __ptrace_may_access() function enables unprivileged local users to execute arbitrary commands as root and disclose sensitive files on major distributions including Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu.

• •The flaw was introduced in November 2016 and remained undetected until recently; exploitation allows attackers to access /etc/shadow and SSH host keys
• •Four different exploits target chage, ssh-keysign, pkexec, and accounts-daemon to achieve privilege escalation
• •A proof-of-concept exploit was released after a public kernel commit, prompting immediate patching recommendations
• •Temporary workaround involves setting kernel.yama.ptrace_scope to 2 until kernel updates are applied

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