Ubuntu 26.10 to complete transition to Rust-based core utilities

Canonical is completing a major modernization of the Ubuntu operating system by transitioning its core command-line tools from GNU Coreutils to Rust-based implementations from the uutils project. The upcoming Ubuntu 26.10 release, scheduled for October 15, 2026, will feature the final three critical utilities—cp, mv, and rm—written in Rust.

This transition aims to enhance system security by leveraging Rust’s memory safety features to mitigate vulnerabilities common in C-based tools, such as buffer overflows and use-after-free errors. While earlier versions like Ubuntu 25.10 introduced Rust-based tools, the rollout for the 26.04 LTS version was temporarily paused to address security concerns and compatibility issues.

A security audit by Zellic identified 113 issues, including 44 CVEs related to Time-of-Check-to-Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) vulnerabilities, most of which have since been resolved. Despite a brief setback in July 2026 where the Rust version of cp caused build errors for live images, the full migration to uutils is now set for completion in the 26.10 release.