CVE-2023-5536Public exploit

Root access via privileged container host mount

Published Dec 12, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Insecure default configuration in Canonical Ubuntu Server before 24.04 allows local users in the lxd group to gain root access through LXD. Ubuntu's installer configuration assigns the initial account to the root-equivalent lxd group, and LXD accepts group-authorized requests to create a privileged container that mounts the host filesystem. The path requires local access as an lxd-group member and grants root-level access to host data without a sudo password.

CVSS severity5.0
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insecure default configuration in Canonical Ubuntu Server before 24.04 allows local users in the lxd group to gain root access through LXD. Ubuntu's installer configuration assigns the initial account to the root-equivalent lxd group, and LXD accepts group-authorized requests to create a privileged container that mounts the host filesystem. The path requires local access as an lxd-group member and grants root-level access to host data without a sudo password.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-5536
Published
Dec 12, 2023
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-276, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

6.4NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.0Canonical Ltd.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-276Incorrect Default Permissions
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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