CVE-2026-41449 in UAC
Summary
by MITRE • 08/21/2026
UAC (Unix-like Artifacts Collector) versions prior to 3.3.0 contain a command injection vulnerability in the _run_command function that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands by injecting shell metacharacters into untrusted data such as usernames, process names, or filenames. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability through crafted evidence inputs, mounted images with hostile filenames, or tampered artifact definitions to achieve remote code execution on the analyst's host when processing evidence.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2026
The Unix-like Artifacts Collector, commonly known as UAC, is a widely utilized open-source digital forensics and incident response tool designed to automate the collection of system artifacts from various operating systems including Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD. In versions prior to 3.3.0, a critical security flaw exists within the core execution logic, specifically residing in the _run_command function which is responsible for invoking external utilities during artifact extraction. This vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in shell commands, allowing an attacker who controls specific input data to inject arbitrary operating system command instructions. The root cause lies in the failure to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied or externally sourced strings before they are concatenated into a shell execution string, creating a classic command injection pathway that bypasses intended security boundaries of the forensic tool itself.
The technical mechanism of this exploitation relies on the way UAC processes evidence inputs during its automated analysis phase. When an analyst mounts a disk image or provides raw file data for processing, the software extracts metadata such as usernames, process names, and filenames to populate artifact definitions. If these fields contain shell metacharacters such as semicolons, pipes, ampersands, or backticks without proper escaping, the underlying shell interprets them not as literal characters but as command delimiters or operators. For instance, if a filename contains a sequence like test; rm -rf /, the system will execute both ls and the destructive removal command rather than treating it as a single file name. This flaw is particularly dangerous in forensic workflows because analysts routinely handle evidence from untrusted sources, including suspect systems that may have been compromised or deliberately crafted to exploit tooling vulnerabilities during investigation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption, posing severe risks to the integrity and security of the analyst's host environment. Since UAC typically runs with elevated privileges to access low-level system artifacts, successful exploitation can lead to remote code execution on the machine performing the analysis. This means that a malicious actor could embed payloads within evidence files or disk images that trigger arbitrary command execution when processed by an unsuspecting investigator. The consequences include potential compromise of sensitive case data, installation of backdoors on forensic workstations, and violation of chain-of-custody integrity due to unauthorized modifications to the system state. Furthermore, because this vulnerability affects multiple input vectors including usernames and process names found in various artifacts like login logs or running process lists, it presents a broad attack surface that is difficult to mitigate through simple configuration changes alone.
From an industry standards perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command, commonly referred to as OS Command Injection. It also maps to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically sub-techniques involving shell commands like sh or bash. The vulnerability highlights a critical intersection between security engineering and forensic tool development where convenience of automation can inadvertently introduce significant risk if input validation is not rigorously enforced across all data ingestion points. Developers must ensure that any string passed to system execution functions is either avoided entirely by using direct API calls instead of shell interpreters, or strictly validated against an allowlist of expected characters before being processed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading the UAC software to version 3.3.0 or later where these input sanitization issues have been addressed through improved encoding and validation mechanisms. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, analysts should exercise extreme caution when processing evidence from untrusted sources, avoiding the use of automated collection tools on potentially malicious images unless strictly necessary and isolated within sandboxed virtual machines with network disconnection. Additionally, implementing strict file naming conventions in production systems can reduce the likelihood of encountering hostile filenames that trigger this flaw. Security teams must also review their incident response playbooks to include verification steps for forensic tool versions and consider using alternative tools or manual collection methods for high-risk evidence until the vulnerability is fully remediated across all operational instances.