release v0.9.9: install.sh needs no sudo + CVE metadata drift fix

install.sh never escalates to sudo. The installer defaulted to
/usr/local/bin and fell back to `sudo mv`, prompting for a password on
exactly the unprivileged accounts a privilege-escalation tool targets. It
now uses /usr/local/bin only when already writable and otherwise installs
to a per-user $HOME/.local/bin (honoring XDG_BIN_HOME), no sudo ever. An
explicit SKELETONKEY_PREFIX is honored and errors rather than escalating.
The documented one-liner prepends ~/.local/bin to PATH so it resolves on a
fresh login, and the quickstart drops the misleading sudo from --scan /
--audit / --auto.

CVE metadata drift (the failing weekly drift-check):
  - CVE-2022-0492 (cgroup_release_agent) entered CISA KEV 2026-06-02;
    corpus now 13 of 36 modules cover KEV-listed CVEs.
  - CVE-2026-46333 (ptrace_pidfd) gained CWE-269 from NVD (was unclassified
    at module-add time).
Refreshed CVE_METADATA.json, generated cve_metadata.c, and KEV_CROSSREF.md;
README + website KEV counts and version bumped to 0.9.9.

CVES.md

@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ root on a host can upstream their kernel's offsets via PR.
 | CVE-2022-2588 | net/sched cls_route4 handle-zero dead UAF | LPE (kernel UAF in cls_route4 filter remove) | mainline 5.20 / 5.19.7 (Aug 2022) | `cls_route4` | 🟡 | Userns+netns reach, tc/ip dummy interface + route4 dangling-filter add/del, msg_msg kmalloc-1k spray, UDP classify drive to follow the dangling pointer, slabinfo delta witness. Stops at empirical UAF-fired signal; no leak→cred overwrite (per-kernel offsets refused). Branch backports: 5.4.213 / 5.10.143 / 5.15.69 / 5.18.18 / 5.19.7. |
 | CVE-2016-5195 | Dirty COW — COW race via /proc/self/mem + madvise | LPE (page-cache write into root-owned files) | mainline 4.9 (Oct 2016) | `dirty_cow` | 🟢 | Full detect + exploit + cleanup. **Old-systems coverage** — affects RHEL 6/7 (3.10 baseline), Ubuntu 14.04 (3.13), Ubuntu 16.04 (4.4), embedded boxes, IoT. Phil-Oester-style two-thread race: writer thread via `/proc/self/mem` vs madvise(MADV_DONTNEED) thread. Targets /etc/passwd UID flip + `su`. Ships auditd watch on /proc/self/mem + sigma rule for non-root mem-open. Pthread-linked. |
 | CVE-2019-13272 | PTRACE_TRACEME → setuid execve → cred escalation | LPE (kernel ptrace race; no exotic preconditions) | mainline 5.1.17 (Jun 2019) | `ptrace_traceme` | 🟢 | Full detect + exploit. Branch backports: 4.4.182 / 4.9.182 / 4.14.131 / 4.19.58 / 5.0.20 / 5.1.17. jannh-style: fork → child `PTRACE_TRACEME` → child sleep+attach → parent `execve` setuid bin (pkexec/su/passwd auto-selected) → child wins stale-ptrace_link → POKETEXT x86_64 shellcode → root sh. x86_64-only; ARM/other return PRECOND_FAIL cleanly. |
-| CVE-2022-0492 | cgroup v1 `release_agent` privilege check in wrong namespace | LPE (host root from rootless container or unprivileged userns) | mainline 5.17 (Mar 2022) | `cgroup_release_agent` | 🟢 | Universal structural exploit — no per-kernel offsets, no race. unshare(user|mount|cgroup), mount cgroup v1 RDP controller, write release_agent → ./payload, trigger via notify_on_release. Ships auditd rules covering cgroupfs mount + release_agent writes. Kept as a portable "containers misconfigured" demo. |
+| CVE-2022-0492 | cgroup v1 `release_agent` privilege check in wrong namespace | LPE (host root from rootless container or unprivileged userns) | mainline 5.17 (Mar 2022) | `cgroup_release_agent` | 🟢 | Universal structural exploit — no per-kernel offsets, no race. unshare(user|mount|cgroup), mount cgroup v1 RDP controller, write release_agent → ./payload, trigger via notify_on_release. Ships auditd rules covering cgroupfs mount + release_agent writes. Kept as a portable "containers misconfigured" demo. **Added to CISA KEV 2026-06-02 — now confirmed exploited in the wild.** |
 | CVE-2023-0386 | overlayfs `copy_up` preserves setuid bit across mount-ns boundary | LPE (host root via setuid carrier from unprivileged mount) | mainline 5.11 / 6.2-rc6 (Jan 2023) | `overlayfs_setuid` | 🟢 | Distro-agnostic — places a setuid binary in an overlay lower, mounts via fuse-overlayfs userns trick, executes from upper to inherit the setuid bit + root euid. Branch backports tracked for 5.10.169 / 5.15.92 / 6.1.11 / 6.2.x. |
 | CVE-2021-22555 | iptables xt_compat heap-OOB → cross-cache UAF | LPE (kernel R/W via 4-byte heap OOB write + msg_msg/sk_buff groom) | mainline 5.12 / 5.11.10 (Apr 2021) | `netfilter_xtcompat` | 🟡 | Hand-rolled `ipt_replace` blob + setsockopt(IPT_SO_SET_REPLACE) fires the 4-byte OOB, msg_msg spray in kmalloc-2k + sk_buff sidecar, MSG_COPY scan for cross-cache landing + slabinfo delta. Stops before the leak → modprobe_path overwrite chain (per-kernel offsets refused). Branch backports: 5.11.10 / 5.10.27 / 5.4.110 / 4.19.185 / 4.14.230 / 4.9.266 / 4.4.266. **Bug existed since 2.6.19 (2006).** Andy Nguyen's PGZ disclosure. |
 | CVE-2017-7308 | AF_PACKET TPACKET_V3 integer overflow → heap write-where | LPE (CAP_NET_RAW via userns) | mainline 4.11 / 4.10.6 (Mar 2017) | `af_packet` | 🟡 | Konovalov's TPACKET_V3 overflow + 200-skb spray + best-effort cred race. Offset table (Ubuntu 16.04/4.4 + 18.04/4.15) + `SKELETONKEY_AFPACKET_OFFSETS` env override for other kernels. x86_64-only; ARM returns PRECOND_FAIL. Branch backports: 4.10.6 / 4.9.18 / 4.4.57 / 3.18.49. |

README.md

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 ```bash
 curl -sSL https://github.com/KaraZajac/SKELETONKEY/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh \
+  && export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH" \
   && skeletonkey --auto --i-know
 ```
 
@@ -205,7 +206,7 @@ also compile (modules with Linux-only headers stub out gracefully).
 
 ## Status
 
-**v0.9.8 cut 2026-06-02.** 41 modules across 36 CVEs — **every
+**v0.9.9 cut 2026-06-08.** 41 modules across 36 CVEs — **every
 year 2016 → 2026 now covered**. Newest: `ptrace_pidfd` (CVE-2026-46333,
 Qualys's `__ptrace_may_access` / `pidfd_getfd` credential-steal) and
 `sudo_host` (CVE-2025-32462, Stratascale's sudo `--host` policy bypass).
@@ -238,7 +239,7 @@ Reliability + accuracy work in v0.7.x:
   trace, OPSEC footprint, detection-rule coverage, verified-on
   records. Paste-into-ticket ready.
 - **CVE metadata pipeline** (`tools/refresh-cve-metadata.py`) — fetches
-  CISA KEV catalog + NVD CWE; 12 of 34 modules cover KEV-listed CVEs.
+  CISA KEV catalog + NVD CWE; 13 of 36 modules cover KEV-listed CVEs.
 - **151 detection rules** across auditd / sigma / yara / falco; one
   command exports the corpus to your SIEM.
 - `--auto` upgrades: per-detect 15s timeout, fork-isolated detect +

core/cve_metadata.c

@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ const struct cve_metadata cve_metadata_table[] = {
         .cwe                 = "CWE-287",
         .attack_technique    = "T1611",
         .attack_subtechnique = NULL,
-        .in_kev              = false,
+        .in_kev              = true,
-        .kev_date_added      = "",
+        .kev_date_added      = "2026-06-02",
     },
     {
         .cve                 = "CVE-2022-0847",
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ const struct cve_metadata cve_metadata_table[] = {
     },
     {
         .cve                 = "CVE-2026-46333",
-        .cwe                 = NULL,
+        .cwe                 = "CWE-269",
         .attack_technique    = "T1068",
         .attack_subtechnique = NULL,
         .in_kev              = false,

docs/CVE_METADATA.json

@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@
     "cwe": "CWE-287",
     "attack_technique": "T1611",
     "attack_subtechnique": null,
-    "in_kev": false,
+    "in_kev": true,
-    "kev_date_added": ""
+    "kev_date_added": "2026-06-02"
   },
   {
     "cve": "CVE-2022-0847",
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@
   {
     "cve": "CVE-2026-46333",
     "module_dir": "ptrace_pidfd_cve_2026_46333",
-    "cwe": null,
+    "cwe": "CWE-269",
     "attack_technique": "T1068",
     "attack_subtechnique": null,
     "in_kev": false,

docs/KEV_CROSSREF.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Which SKELETONKEY modules cover CVEs that CISA has observed exploited
 in the wild per the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
 Refreshed via `tools/refresh-cve-metadata.py`.
 
-**12 of 34 modules cover KEV-listed CVEs.**
+**13 of 36 modules cover KEV-listed CVEs.**
 
 ## In KEV (prioritize patching)
 
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Refreshed via `tools/refresh-cve-metadata.py`.
 | CVE-2025-32463 | 2025-09-29 | CWE-829 | `sudo_chwoot_cve_2025_32463` |
 | CVE-2021-22555 | 2025-10-06 | CWE-787 | `netfilter_xtcompat_cve_2021_22555` |
 | CVE-2018-14634 | 2026-01-26 | CWE-190 | `mutagen_astronomy_cve_2018_14634` |
+| CVE-2022-0492 | 2026-06-02 | CWE-287 | `cgroup_release_agent_cve_2022_0492` |
 
 ## Not in KEV
 
@@ -36,7 +37,6 @@ and are technically reachable. "Not in KEV" is not the same as
 | CVE-2020-14386 | CWE-250 | `af_packet2_cve_2020_14386` |
 | CVE-2020-29661 | CWE-416 | `tioscpgrp_cve_2020_29661` |
 | CVE-2021-33909 | CWE-190 | `sequoia_cve_2021_33909` |
-| CVE-2022-0492 | CWE-287 | `cgroup_release_agent_cve_2022_0492` |
 | CVE-2022-25636 | CWE-269 | `nft_fwd_dup_cve_2022_25636` |
 | CVE-2022-2588 | CWE-416 | `cls_route4_cve_2022_2588` |
 | CVE-2023-0179 | CWE-190 | `nft_payload_cve_2023_0179` |
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ and are technically reachable. "Not in KEV" is not the same as
 | CVE-2023-4622 | CWE-416 | `af_unix_gc_cve_2023_4622` |
 | CVE-2024-26581 | ? | `nft_pipapo_cve_2024_26581` |
 | CVE-2024-50264 | CWE-416 | `vsock_uaf_cve_2024_50264` |
+| CVE-2025-32462 | CWE-863 | `sudo_host_cve_2025_32462` |
 | CVE-2025-6019 | CWE-250 | `udisks_libblockdev_cve_2025_6019` |
 | CVE-2026-31635 | CWE-130 | `dirtydecrypt_cve_2026_31635` |
 | CVE-2026-41651 | CWE-367 | `pack2theroot_cve_2026_41651` |
 | CVE-2026-43494 | ? | `pintheft_cve_2026_43494` |
 | CVE-2026-46300 | CWE-787 | `fragnesia_cve_2026_46300` |
+| CVE-2026-46333 | CWE-269 | `ptrace_pidfd_cve_2026_46333` |

docs/LAUNCH.md

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ haven't been maintained in years.
 
 ```bash
 curl -sSL https://github.com/KaraZajac/SKELETONKEY/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh \
+  && export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH" \
   && skeletonkey --auto --i-know
 ```
 

docs/RELEASE_NOTES.md

@@ -1,3 +1,37 @@
+## SKELETONKEY v0.9.9 — install.sh needs no root; CVE-2022-0492 KEV drift
+
+Two maintenance fixes, no new modules.
+
+**`install.sh` never escalates to sudo.** SKELETONKEY is a privilege-
+escalation tool — the operator by definition does *not* have root yet, so
+the installer must not demand it. The old default wrote to `/usr/local/bin`
+and fell back to `sudo mv` when that wasn't writable, prompting for a
+password on exactly the unprivileged accounts this tool targets. It now
+installs sudo-free: `/usr/local/bin` is used only when already writable,
+otherwise it falls back to a per-user `$HOME/.local/bin` (honoring
+`XDG_BIN_HOME`), created as needed. An explicit `SKELETONKEY_PREFIX` is
+honored exactly and errors rather than escalating if unwritable. When the
+chosen dir isn't on `$PATH` the installer prints the absolute path, and the
+documented `curl … | sh && skeletonkey --auto --i-know` one-liner now
+prepends `$HOME/.local/bin` to `$PATH` so it resolves on a fresh login. The
+quickstart no longer prefixes `sudo` to `--scan`/`--audit`/`--auto` —
+detection and escalation run as the unprivileged user; only writing audit
+rules into `/etc/audit` legitimately needs root.
+
+**Federal metadata drift (the failing scheduled build).** The weekly
+`drift-check` caught two upstream changes since v0.9.8:
+
+- **CVE-2022-0492 entered CISA KEV (2026-06-02).** The cgroup v1
+  `release_agent` container-escape (`cgroup_release_agent`) is now on the
+  Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The corpus reports **13 of 36**
+  modules covering KEV-listed CVEs (was 12).
+- **CVE-2026-46333 gained a CWE.** When `ptrace_pidfd` was added two weeks
+  after disclosure, NVD had not yet classified it; it is now **CWE-269**
+  (Improper Privilege Management).
+
+Refreshed `CVE_METADATA.json`, the generated `cve_metadata.c` table, and
+`KEV_CROSSREF.md` accordingly (README + website counts updated).
+
 ## SKELETONKEY v0.9.8 — two new LPE modules (ptrace_pidfd, sudo_host)
 
 Adds the two most compelling recent Linux LPEs not already in the corpus,

docs/app.js

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
    * 1. typed install command in the hero
    * ============================================================ */
   const installCmd =
-    'curl -sSL https://github.com/KaraZajac/SKELETONKEY/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh \\\n  && skeletonkey --auto --i-know';
+    'curl -sSL https://github.com/KaraZajac/SKELETONKEY/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh \\\n  && export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH" \\\n  && skeletonkey --auto --i-know';
   const typedEl  = document.getElementById('install-typed');
   const cursorEl = document.getElementById('install-cursor');
 

docs/index.html

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 <meta charset="UTF-8">
 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
 <title>SKELETONKEY — Linux LPE corpus, VM-verified, SOC-ready detection</title>
-<meta name="description" content="One binary. 41 Linux privilege-escalation modules from 2016 to 2026. 28 of 36 CVEs empirically verified in real Linux VMs. 10 KEV-listed. 151 detection rules across auditd/sigma/yara/falco. MITRE ATT&CK and CWE annotated. --explain gives operator briefings.">
+<meta name="description" content="One binary. 41 Linux privilege-escalation modules from 2016 to 2026. 28 of 36 CVEs empirically verified in real Linux VMs. 13 KEV-listed. 151 detection rules across auditd/sigma/yara/falco. MITRE ATT&CK and CWE annotated. --explain gives operator briefings.">
 <meta property="og:title" content="SKELETONKEY — Linux LPE corpus, VM-verified">
 <meta property="og:description" content="41 Linux LPE modules; 28 of 36 CVEs empirically verified in real VMs. 151 detection rules. ATT&CK + CWE + KEV annotated.">
 <meta property="og:type" content="website">
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
   <div class="container hero-inner">
     <div class="hero-eyebrow">
       <span class="dot dot-pulse"></span>
-      v0.9.8 — released 2026-06-02
+      v0.9.9 — released 2026-06-08
     </div>
     <h1 class="hero-title">
       <span class="display-wordmark">SKELETONKEY</span>
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ uid=0(root) gid=0(root)</pre>
         <div class="bento-icon">★</div>
         <h3>CISA KEV prioritized</h3>
         <p>
-          12 of 36 CVEs in the corpus are in CISA's Known Exploited
+          13 of 36 CVEs in the corpus are in CISA's Known Exploited
           Vulnerabilities catalog — actively exploited in the wild.
           Refreshed on demand via <code>tools/refresh-cve-metadata.py</code>.
         </p>
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ uid=0(root) gid=0(root)</pre>
       who found the bugs.
     </p>
     <p class="footer-meta">
-      v0.9.8 · MIT · <a href="https://github.com/KaraZajac/SKELETONKEY">github.com/KaraZajac/SKELETONKEY</a>
+      v0.9.9 · MIT · <a href="https://github.com/KaraZajac/SKELETONKEY">github.com/KaraZajac/SKELETONKEY</a>
     </p>
   </div>
 </footer>

install.sh

@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ set -eu
 
 REPO="${SKELETONKEY_REPO:-KaraZajac/SKELETONKEY}"
 VERSION="${SKELETONKEY_VERSION:-latest}"
-PREFIX="${SKELETONKEY_PREFIX:-/usr/local/bin}"
+# PREFIX resolution is deferred until install time so we can pick a
+# sudo-free default. SKELETONKEY is a privilege-escalation tool — by
+# definition the operator does NOT have root yet, so the installer must
+# NEVER need sudo. Empty here means "auto-pick a writable dir below".
+PREFIX="${SKELETONKEY_PREFIX:-}"
 
 log()   { printf '[\033[1;36m*\033[0m] %s\n' "$*" >&2; }
 ok()    { printf '[\033[1;32m+\033[0m] %s\n' "$*" >&2; }
@@ -108,29 +112,49 @@ fi
 
 chmod +x "$tmp/skeletonkey"
 
-# Install. Try $PREFIX directly; if not writable, sudo.
+# Choose install dir — NEVER escalate to sudo. If the user pinned
-target_path="$PREFIX/skeletonkey"
+# SKELETONKEY_PREFIX we honor it exactly (creating it if needed) and
-if [ -w "$PREFIX" ] || [ "$(id -u)" -eq 0 ]; then
+# error rather than escalate when it isn't writable. Otherwise prefer
-    mv "$tmp/skeletonkey" "$target_path"
+# /usr/local/bin only when it happens to already be writable, and fall
-elif command -v sudo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+# back to a guaranteed per-user dir ($HOME/.local/bin) that needs no
-    log "$PREFIX needs sudo; you may be prompted for password"
+# privileges. This keeps `curl ... | sh` password-free for the exact
-    sudo mv "$tmp/skeletonkey" "$target_path"
+# users this tool is meant for: unprivileged accounts.
+if [ -n "$PREFIX" ]; then
+    [ -d "$PREFIX" ] || mkdir -p "$PREFIX" 2>/dev/null \
+        || fail "cannot create SKELETONKEY_PREFIX=$PREFIX"
+    [ -w "$PREFIX" ] || fail "SKELETONKEY_PREFIX=$PREFIX not writable (the installer never uses sudo — pick a writable dir)"
+elif [ -w /usr/local/bin ]; then
+    PREFIX=/usr/local/bin
 else
-    fail "$PREFIX not writable and sudo not available. Try SKELETONKEY_PREFIX=\$HOME/.local/bin"
+    PREFIX="${XDG_BIN_HOME:-$HOME/.local/bin}"
+    mkdir -p "$PREFIX" 2>/dev/null || fail "cannot create $PREFIX"
 fi
 
+target_path="$PREFIX/skeletonkey"
+mv "$tmp/skeletonkey" "$target_path" || fail "failed to install to $target_path"
 ok "installed: $target_path"
+
+# ~/.local/bin is frequently absent from PATH on fresh accounts — tell
+# the user how to invoke it rather than letting `skeletonkey` 404.
+case ":$PATH:" in
+    *":$PREFIX:"*) : ;;
+    *) log "note: $PREFIX is not on \$PATH — run it as $target_path, or add the dir to PATH" ;;
+esac
+
 "$target_path" --version
 
 cat >&2 <<EOF
 
 [\033[1;33m!\033[0m] AUTHORIZED TESTING ONLY — see https://github.com/${REPO}/blob/main/docs/ETHICS.md
 
-Quickstart:
+Quickstart (no root required — gaining it is the point):
-    sudo skeletonkey --scan                                 # what's this box vulnerable to?
+    skeletonkey --scan                  # what's this box vulnerable to?
-    sudo skeletonkey --audit                                # broader system hygiene
+    skeletonkey --audit                 # broader system hygiene
-    sudo skeletonkey --detect-rules --format=auditd \\
+    skeletonkey --auto --i-know         # run the safest available LPE
-       | sudo tee /etc/audit/rules.d/99-skeletonkey.rules   # deploy detection rules
+
+Deploy detection rules (defensive; only the write to /etc/audit needs root):
+    skeletonkey --detect-rules --format=auditd \\
+       | sudo tee /etc/audit/rules.d/99-skeletonkey.rules
 
 See \`skeletonkey --help\` for all commands.
 EOF

skeletonkey.c

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
-#define SKELETONKEY_VERSION "0.9.8"
+#define SKELETONKEY_VERSION "0.9.9"
 
 static const char BANNER[] =
 "\n"