CVE-2026-96281

Flatpak: flatpak: unprivileged active user can bypass anti-downgrade checks for system apps/runtimes

Published Sep 27, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 6.2 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
On a multi-user system, a user with an active local login session could downgrade a system-wide Flatpak app to an older version by removing the app's remote ref via the unprivileged system-helper RemoveLocalRef method, causing the anti-downgrade check to fail to find a reference date. A malicious local user could use this to expose other users of the same system to an app version with unfixed vulnerabilities.

Remediation

Vendor Workaround

Ensure that Flatpak apps installed system-wide are fully updated before running them.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Els
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_els:7
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Els
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Flatpak
Flatpak flatpak
Vendors & Products Flatpak
Flatpak flatpak
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 6.2, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description On a multi-user system, a user with an active local login session could downgrade a system-wide Flatpak app to an older version by removing the app's remote ref via the unprivileged system-helper RemoveLocalRef method, causing the anti-downgrade check to fail to find a reference date. A malicious local user could use this to expose other users of the same system to an app version with unfixed vulnerabilities.
Title Flatpak: flatpak: unprivileged active user can bypass anti-downgrade checks for system apps/runtimes
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Weaknesses CWE-284
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
redhat
Published
Updated
Nov 6, 2026, 2:14 AM
Reserved
Sep 22, 2026, 8:43 PM
Status
Awaiting Analysis
Published
Sep 27, 2026, 9:17 PM
Modified
Nov 6, 2026, 3:16 AM