CVE-2026-115378
MediumCVSS 5.8Exploitation Probability (EPSS)
Low risk14th percentile - higher than 14% of all known CVEs
Summary
Incus contains an arbitrary file write vulnerability in sftpRecursivePullFile that allows a malicious incus-agent to escape the target directory during incus file pull -r. Attackers with root in a virtual machine can return duplicate entries reported first as symlinks then as files or directories, writing attacker-controlled files such as /etc/shadow on the operator's host.
Risk Assessment
This can lead to host compromise by overwriting critical system files such as /etc/shadow. However, it requires root privileges in the virtual machine, raising the bar for exploitation.
Recommendation
Update Incus to version 6.0.7, 7.0.2, or 7.5.0 (or later). Avoid running incus file pull -r with untrusted virtual machines or restrict agent privileges.
Other vulnerabilities in Incus
See all- CVE-2026-23954High
Incus versions 6.21.0 and below allow a user with the ability to launch a container with a custom image (e.g., a member of the 'incus' group) to use directory traversal or symbolic links in the templating functionality to achieve host arbitrary file read and write, ultimately resulting in arbitrary command execution on the host. A fix is planned for versions 6.0.6 and 6.21.0.
- CVE-2026-23953High
Incus versions 6.20.0 and below allow a user with the ability to launch a container with a custom YAML configuration (e.g., a member of the 'incus' group) to create an environment variable containing newlines, which can be used to add additional configuration items in the container's lxc.conf. This can allow adding arbitrary lifecycle hooks, ultimately resulting in arbitrary command execution on the host. A fix is planned for versions 6.0.6 and 6.21.0.
- CVE-2026-115377Critical
Incus before 6.0.7, 6.1.0 before 7.0.2, and 7.1.0 before 7.5.0 contains an arbitrary file write vulnerability that allows malicious migration sources to write host files by planting symlinks in transferred volumes. Attackers can craft rsync or btrfs receive streams with a symlink such as rootfs pointing to the host root, writing files as root for full host compromise.
- CVE-2026-115375Critical
Incus 7.0.0 before 7.0.2 and 7.1.0 before 7.5.0 contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows clients able to create instances to write files on the host. The flaw stems from unvalidated dependent custom volume names in instance backup index.yaml files. Attackers can import a crafted instance backup with ../ sequences in dependent volume names to create root-owned directories with controlled content, leading to full host compromise.
- CVE-2026-63343Critical
Incus prior to version 7.3.0 has a vulnerability where a malicious image containing a `metadata.yaml` symlink pointing to an arbitrary host path allows an authenticated Incus user to read or overwrite any file on the host as root via the instance metadata API. The `exec-output` and `templates/` paths were patched earlier, but `metadata.yaml` was not included and remains exploitable.
- CVE-2026-63125Critical
Incus prior to version 7.3.0 allows an unprivileged, project-confined user (a non-admin TLS/RBAC identity with `can_create_images` and `can_create_instances`) to execute arbitrary code as root on the host. A crafted image ships `backup.yaml` as a symlink to a host file. When the root daemon writes the instance's backup file, it follows the symlink.
- CVE-2026-62941Critical
Incus prior to version 7.3.0 has a vulnerability where when copying an instance across projects, the project restriction check (`AllowInstanceCreation`) runs BEFORE the source instance's configuration is merged into the request. Dangerous configuration keys (including `security.privileged`, `raw.lxc`, `raw.apparmor`) from the source instance are merged AFTER the check passes, bypassing all project restrictions on the target project.
- CVE-2026-62940Critical
Incus prior to version 7.3.0 has a vulnerability where when migrating an instance to another cluster member, user-supplied configuration overrides (including security-critical keys like `security.privileged` and `raw.lxc`) are applied without any project restriction enforcement, allowing a restricted project user to escalate to a privileged container and escape to the host.
- CVE-2026-62867Critical
Incus prior to version 7.3.0 has a vulnerability where improper validation of user-provided `block.create_options` in storage volume configuration leads to argument injection in the constructed filesystem creation command line. This allows a project-scoped user to inject arbitrary arguments into the binary executed as root.
- CVE-2026-48769Critical
Incus prior to version 7.2.0 has an arbitrary file write vulnerability in the Incus client when a malicious image server returns a crafted `Incus-Image-Hash` header. This can lead to arbitrary command execution as root on the server.
Original NVD description (English source)
Incus before 6.0.7, 6.1.0 before 7.0.2, and 7.1.0 before 7.5.0 contains an arbitrary file write vulnerability in sftpRecursivePullFile that allows a malicious incus-agent to escape the target directory during incus file pull -r. Attackers with root in a virtual machine can return duplicate entries reported first as symlinks then as files or directories, writing attacker-controlled files such as /etc/shadow on the operator's host.
Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS

