Executive brief
A security vulnerability exists in the Ubuntu Pro client, a tool used to manage enterprise services and diagnostic logs on Ubuntu systems. An attacker with limited access to a computer can trick the system into including sensitive files, such as password hashes or private keys, in a diagnostic report. If an administrator runs the log collection tool, the attacker can then access these secret files from the resulting report, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Technical details
An insecure symlink following vulnerability (CWE-59) exists in the 'pro collect-logs' command of the Canonical ubuntu-pro-client (formerly ubuntu-advantage-tools). The utility uses predictable temporary file paths or user-accessible directories without verifying file ownership or type. A local unprivileged attacker can create a symbolic link at a predictable path pointing to sensitive root-only files (e.g., /etc/shadow). When a root administrator executes the log collection command, the tool follows the symlink, includes the sensitive file in the diagnostic archive, and leaves the archive readable by the unprivileged user. This results in information disclosure of system secrets. The issue is addressed in version 37.3 of the client and corresponding package updates for Ubuntu LTS releases.
Affected products
- Canonical ubuntu-pro-client (ubuntu-advantage-tools) < 37.3
- Canonical Ubuntu 26.04 LTS < 37.2ubuntu0.1
- Canonical Ubuntu 24.04 LTS < 37.2ubuntu~24.04.1
- Canonical Ubuntu 22.04 LTS < 37.2ubuntu~22.04.1
Timeline
- 2026-07-16: disclosed
- 2026-07-16: advisory