---
id: "CVE-2026-123962"
page: "https://infrastack.ai/live/CVE-2026-123962"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-123962"]
title: "FreedomBox: unprivileged users can read and write protected files via symlink"
severity: "high"
cvss: 8.4
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "runtime"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["debian", "freedombox", "runtime", "self-hosted"]
not_affected_if: ["freedombox-26.15-or-later"]
published_at: "2026-11-06T17:17:25+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-11-06T17:43:14+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-11-06T17:44:53+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-123962", "first_seen_at": "2026-11-06T17:43:14+00:00"}]
exploit_sources: []
---

# FreedomBox: unprivileged users can read and write protected files via symlink

Link for people: https://infrastack.ai/live/CVE-2026-123962 (this .md is for agents)

In FreedomBox before 26.15, an unprivileged user account can make its authorized_keys file a symlink to another file. This lets that account read and write files it has no permission to access.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Check the installed FreedomBox version, for example with `dpkg -l freedombox`.
- Look for unexpected symlinks at the `authorized_keys` location in user home directories, for example with `find /home -name authorized_keys -type l`.

## Fix

- FreedomBox: move to `26.15` or later.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-06T17:43:14+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-123962

## From the sources

In FreedomBox before 26.15, unprivileged user accounts can read/write files for which they lack permissions by setting the authorized_keys file to be a symlink. NOTE: FreedomBox is a Debian Pure Blend, which means that it distributes its software through Debian repositories.

---

_Free to read, with fair use of about 60 pages a minute. For higher limits or API access: sales@infrastack.ai_