CVE-2026-77159
Libvirt: unsafe chown in qemutpmemulatorpreparehost() allows arbitrary file ownership change via symlink
- Published
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Not listed in CISA KEV
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
CISA's decision points: whether it is exploited, whether attacks can be automated, and how much control an attacker gets. Assessed (SSVC 2.0.3).What do these mean? →
- Exploitation: poc
- Automatable: no
- Technical impact: partial
Summary
A symlink-following flaw was found in libvirt's qemuTPMEmulatorPrepareHost() function. The function uses a path-based chown() on the swtpm logfile without checking for symbolic links. A local attacker with access to the swtpm account can replace the logfile with a symlink, causing libvirtd (running as root) to transfer ownership of an arbitrary file to the swtpm user.
Timeline
- CVE published
- CISA SSVC assessment
Exploitation: poc · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial
- Record last updated
Affected versions
- 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