ToughApplication · Amazon
CVE-2026-6968
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIncomplete path traversal fixes in awslabs/tough before tough-v0.22.0 allow remote authenticated users with delegated signing authority to write files outside intended output directories via absolute target names in copy_target/link_target, symlinked parent directories in save_target, or symlinked metadata filenames in SignedRole::write, because write paths trust the joined destination path without post-resolution containment verification. We recommend you upgrade to tough-v0.22.0 / tuftool-v0.15.0.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidencePath traversal vulnerability in awslabs/tough allows authenticated users with delegated signing authority to write files outside intended directories by exploiting absolute target names in copy_target/link_target, symlinked parent directories in save_target, and symlinked metadata filenames in SignedRole::write. The code joins paths but fails to verify post-resolution containment, allowing path traversal despite prior fixes.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
ToughApplication
>= 0.9.0, < 0.22.0
TuftoolApplication
< 0.15.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Amazon Tough versionRun `cargo list --format json | grep tough` or inspect Cargo.lock/Cargo.toml for the tough crate versionAffected if version is >= 0.9.0 and < 0.22.0
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Check Amazon Tuftool versionRun `tuftool --version` or inspect the installed tuftool binary versionAffected if version is < 0.15.0
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Identify if delegated signing is configuredInspect the TUF repository configuration or metadata files for delegated roles (e.g., in root.json, snapshot.json, or delegation config files)Affected if delegated signing roles are defined and in use
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Check for symlinks in target output pathsReview the target path configuration or logs for any symlinked parent directories in the save_target, copy_target, or link_target operationsAffected if symlinks exist in the target paths being written to or if absolute paths are being used for targets
You are affected if you run Amazon Tough < 0.22.0 or Tuftool < 0.15.0 and are using delegated signing authority with targets that may involve symlinks or absolute paths.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped0.15.00.22.0
Upgrade to tough-v0.22.0/tuftool-v0.15.0 which implements post-resolution path containment verification to prevent writing files outside intended output directories.
tough-v0.22.0 and tuftool-v0.15.0
- Check the current versions of tough and tuftool in use by reviewing Cargo.toml or running cargo tree
- Update the tough dependency in Cargo.toml to version 0.22.0 or later (e.g., tough = "0.22.0")
- Update the tuftool dependency in Cargo.toml to version 0.15.0 or later (e.g., tuftool = "0.15.0")
- Run cargo update to fetch the new dependency versions
- Rebuild the project with cargo build to incorporate the fixed versions
- Run existing tests to verify the upgrade does not break functionality
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Tough
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-6968 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-6968 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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