# CVE-2026-44059: Netatalk non-reentrant privilege toggle race condition

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44059-netatalk-non-reentrant-privilege-toggle-race-condition  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-21. Updated: 2026-05-21  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-44059 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.5 · Published 2026-05-21

Netatalk is an open-source implementation of the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) used to allow non-Apple systems to act as file servers for Mac computers. A flaw in how the software manages user permissions could potentially allow a local user to interfere with security controls. While the risk of a remote attack is considered low, the issue weakens the overall security of the file server's privilege management system.

Technologies: [Netatalk](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/netatalk). Vendors: [Netatalk](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/netatalk).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-44059 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-44059 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-44059?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.5, published 21 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Netatalk 2.2.5 through 4.4.2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44059?** A patch was published on 2026-05-21: Fixed in version 4.5.0 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-44059 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-44059?** Check whether you run Netatalk 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.

## Technical details

Netatalk versions 2.2.5 through 4.4.2 contain a race condition (CWE-362) within its privilege-switching logic. The software utilizes shared global state for toggling privileges without adequate locking or support for nested execution. This non-reentrant behavior means that concurrent or nested calls to privilege-management functions could lead to inconsistent security states. While the maintainers have not identified a direct path for remote privilege escalation in standard afpd request handling, the flaw represents a failure in robust privilege separation. The issue is resolved in version 4.5.0.

## Affected products

- Netatalk Netatalk 2.2.5 through 4.4.2

## Timeline

- 2026-05-13: disclosed
- 2026-05-21: advisory: NVD publication date
- 2026-05-21: patched: Fixed in version 4.5.0

## References

- [https://netatalk.io/security/CVE-2026-44059](https://netatalk.io/security/CVE-2026-44059)

## Related threats

- [Netatalk afpd stack buffer overflow in deletedir()](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-45698-netatalk-afpd-stack-buffer-overflow-in-deletedir)
- [Netatalk afpd stack buffer overflow in copydir()](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-45699-netatalk-afpd-stack-buffer-overflow-in-copydir)
- [Netatalk TOCTOU race condition in ad_flush](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-7837-netatalk-toctou-race-condition-in-ad-flush)
- [Netatalk missing break statement in DSI OpenSession](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44075-netatalk-missing-break-statement-in-dsi-opensession)
- [Netatalk incorrect calculation in ACL error handling](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44074-netatalk-incorrect-calculation-in-acl-error-handling)