Description
In Flatpak before 0.8.7, a third-party app repository could include malicious apps that contain files with inappropriate permissions, for example setuid or world-writable. The files are deployed with those permissions, which would let a local attacker run the setuid executable or write to the world-writable location. In the case of the "system helper" component, files deployed as part of the app are owned by root, so in the worst case they could be setuid root.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | flatpak | 0.8.7-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | flatpak | 0.8.7-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | flatpak | 0.8.7-1 | — |
| Debian 9 | flatpak | 0.8.5-2+deb9u1 | DSA-3895-1 |
Advisories 1
- DSA-3895-1 flatpak - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/issues/845
- https://bugs.debian.org/865413
- 99346 vdb-entry
- DSA-3895 vendor-advisory