Root command execution via image-hash path traversal
Published Aug 21, 2026 · Updated Aug 21, 2026
Path traversal in Linux Containers Incus before 7.2.0 allows remote authenticated users to write arbitrary files as root. The direct image-download path uses an unvalidated Incus-Image-Hash value in filepath.Join, creates that destination, and checks its SHA-256 only after writing attacker-controlled bytes. An account permitted to import an image from a malicious URL can escape the image directory and place root-owned content elsewhere on the Linux host, enabling root command execution.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in Linux Containers Incus before 7.2.0 allows remote authenticated users to write arbitrary files as root. The direct image-download path uses an unvalidated Incus-Image-Hash value in filepath.Join, creates that destination, and checks its SHA-256 only after writing attacker-controlled bytes. An account permitted to import an image from a malicious URL can escape the image directory and place root-owned content elsewhere on the Linux host, enabling root command execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-48769
- Published
- Aug 21, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 21, 2026
- Vendor
- Linux Containers
- Product
- Incus
- Classifications
- CWE-20, T1068
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 21, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 21, 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.
- Affected versionversion=< 7.2.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GHSA-f6m5-xw2g-xc4x direct image URL path-traversal PoCfunctional · unverified
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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