CVE-2026-119336: Pi-hole privilege escalation via symlink in updatecheck.sh

CVE-2026-119336 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2026-10-30

Pi-hole is a DNS filtering system that protects networks from unwanted content at the network level. A scheduled maintenance task running as root follows symbolic links in a directory controlled by a less-privileged user, allowing an attacker to truncate arbitrary files, create new files with specific permissions, or make sensitive configuration files world-readable. This could lead to system compromise or exposure of sensitive data.

Technologies: Pi-hole. Vendors: Pi-hole.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-119336 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-119336 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-119336?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 30 October 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Pi-hole 6.4.2 through 6.5 (excluding 6.5).
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-119336?
Yes: fixed in 6.5. Until then: Restrict the pihole user's ability to create symlinks in /etc/pihole, or restrict write access to that directory to root only until the system can be updated to version 6.5. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-119336 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-119336?
Check whether you run Pi-hole at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • Fixed in: 6.5

Restrict the pihole user's ability to create symlinks in /etc/pihole, or restrict write access to that directory to root only until the system can be updated to version 6.5.

Technical details

The updatecheck.sh script runs as root via cron and performs truncate and chmod operations on /etc/pihole/versions while following symlinks. An attacker with pihole-user privileges can plant a symlink to an arbitrary file path; when root executes the script, it truncates or modifies permissions on that target file. The vulnerability exists in versions 6.4.2 through 6.5 and is fixed by using mv (rename(2)) instead, which replaces the directory entry itself rather than following symlinks.

Affected products

  • Pi-hole Pi-hole 6.4.2 through 6.5 (excluding 6.5)

Timeline

  • 2026-10-30: advisory
  • 2026-10-30: patched: Fixed in version 6.5

References

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