Unity Linux 20.1060e / 20.1070e Security Update: flatpak (UTSA-2026-017552)

high Nessus Plugin ID 313804

Synopsis

The Unity Linux host is missing one or more security updates.

Description

The Unity Linux 20 host has a package installed that is affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the UTSA-2026-017552 advisory.

Flatpak is a system for building, distributing, and running sandboxed desktop applications on Linux. In Flatpack since version 0.9.4 and before version 1.10.2 has a vulnerability in the file forwarding feature which can be used by an attacker to gain access to files that would not ordinarily be allowed by the app's permissions. By putting the special tokens `@@` and/or `@@u` in the Exec field of a Flatpak app's .desktop file, a malicious app publisher can trick flatpak into behaving as though the user had chosen to open a target file with their Flatpak app, which automatically makes that file available to the Flatpak app. This is fixed in version 1.10.2. A minimal solution is the first commit `Disallow @@ and @@U usage in desktop files`. The follow-up commits `dir: Reserve the whole @@ prefix` and `dir: Refuse to export .desktop files with suspicious uses of @@ tokens` are recommended, but not strictly required. As a workaround, avoid installing Flatpak apps from untrusted sources, or check the contents of the exported `.desktop` files in `exports/share/applications/*.desktop` (typically `~/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/applications/*.desktop` and `/var/lib/flatpak/exports/share/applications/*.desktop`) to make sure that literal filenames do not follow `@@` or `@@u`.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Unity Linux security advisory.

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

Solution

Update the affected flatpak package.

See Also

http://www.nessus.org/u?a9f2a1c9

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21381

http://www.nessus.org/u?6db05237

Plugin Details

Severity: High

ID: 313804

File Name: unity_linux_UTSA-2026-017552.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: Local

Published: 5/11/2026

Updated: 5/11/2026

Supported Sensors: Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 6.3

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 5.8

Temporal Score: 4.3

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2021-21381

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 8.2

Temporal Score: 7.1

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, Host/UOS-Server/release, Host/UOS-Server/rpm-list

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 5/11/2026

Vulnerability Publication Date: 3/10/2021

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2021-21381