CVE-2026-23954Public exploit

Host command execution via unsafe image templates

Published Jan 22, 2026 · Updated Jan 22, 2026

Path traversal in Incus 6.0.5 and earlier and 6.1.0 through 6.20.0 allows local users to execute commands on the host. The metadata.yaml image-templating path accepts traversal in template sources and follows target symlinks outside the container root. Exploitation requires permission to launch a container from a custom image and grants host-root file access and command execution.

CVSS severity8.7
High
EPSS probability0.73%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Path traversal in Incus 6.0.5 and earlier and 6.1.0 through 6.20.0 allows local users to execute commands on the host. The metadata.yaml image-templating path accepts traversal in template sources and follows target symlinks outside the container root. Exploitation requires permission to launch a container from a custom image and grants host-root file access and command execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-23954
Published
Jan 22, 2026
Updated
Jan 22, 2026
Vendor
Linux Containers
Product
Incus
Classifications
CWE-22, T1611
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 22, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 22, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=<= 6.0.5
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 6.1.0, <= 6.20.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Linux Containers · Incusversion=<= 6.0.5; version=>= 6.1.0, <= 6.20.0

Published CVSS scores

8.7GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/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)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
T1611Escape to Host

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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