Root access gives an attacker or administrator complete control of a Unix-like system, allowing changes to data, software, accounts, and security settings.
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Background for this topic.
Root access is unrestricted administrative control of a Unix or Linux system. The root account, or an equivalent privilege obtained through mechanisms such as sudo, can read or change nearly any file, alter system configuration, install software, and control running processes. Related uses of “root” may describe equivalent administrator privileges in containers, cloud workloads, network appliances, or mobile devices.
Because root privileges can bypass ordinary access controls, stolen administrative credentials or a vulnerability that enables privilege escalation can let an attacker modify security settings, access protected data, establish persistence, or disrupt the host. Organizations generally reduce exposure by disabling direct root login where practical, using named administrator accounts with least privilege, protecting privileged authentication with strong controls, and recording and reviewing elevation events. Vulnerability management should prioritize flaws that can grant local or remote root-level execution; during an incident, investigators must assess whether root access was obtained and treat the host’s integrity as potentially compromised.
Attackers took over more than 400 packages in the Arch User Repository (AUR) this week and rewrote their build scripts to install a credential stealer on any machine that built them
Attackers took over more than 400 packages in the Arch User Repository (AUR) this week and rewrote their build scripts to install a credential stealer on any machine that built them
Attackers are exploiting the critical CVE-2026-10520 flaw in Ivanti Sentry, compromising many internet-exposed gateways shortly after patches were released. Threat actors have started exploiting a maximum-severity OS command injection flaw in Ivanti Sentry, tracked as CVE-2026-10520, that allows remote code execution with root privileges. “An OS Command Injection vulnerability in Ivanti Sentry before the R10.5.2, R10.6.2 and R10.7.1 versions allows a remote […]
Attackers are exploiting the critical CVE-2026-10520 flaw in Ivanti Sentry, compromising many internet-exposed gateways shortly after patches were released. Threat actors have started exploiting a maximum-severity OS command injection flaw in Ivanti Sentry, tracked as CVE-2026-10520, that allows remote code execution with root privileges. “An OS Command Injection vulnerability in Ivanti Sentry before the R10.5.2, R10.6.2 and R10.7.1 versions allows a remote […]
Attackers are now targeting a recently patched maximum-severity flaw in Ivanti Sentry, enabling them to execute code with root privileges on Internet-exposed secure mobile gateways. [...]
Remote, unauthenticated RCE with root privileges is about as bad as it gets
Ivanti has patched two critical vulnerabilities in its Sentry secure mobile gateway solution, including a maximum-severity flaw that enables remote attackers to execute code with root privileges. [...]
A Linux kernel nf_tables bug lets local users gain root via use-after-free caused by a logic error; patch removes a single “!”. CVE-2026-23111 lives in nf_tables, the Linux kernel’s packet filtering framework. Exodus Intelligence researcher Oliver Sieber found the bug in early 2025 and chained it into a full local privilege escalation. The flaw was […]
Security researchers have published a detailed, working exploit for a Linux kernel use-after-free that lets an unprivileged local user escalate to root and break out of a container
Attackers can chain three already fixed vulnerabilities in the Ubiquiti UniFi OS server to execute remote code with root privileges and without authentication. [...]