Read the docs
TI-2021-04363 Aliases CVE-2021-21261

Flatpak sandbox escape via spawn portal

Priority LOW 39CWE-74Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

Flatpak is a system for building, distributing, and running sandboxed desktop applications on Linux. A bug was discovered in the `flatpak-portal` service that can allow sandboxed applications to execute arbitrary code on the host system (a sandbox escape). This sandbox-escape bug is present in versions from 0.11.4 and before fixed versions 1.8.5 and 1.10.0. The Flatpak portal D-Bus service (`flatpak-portal`, also known by its D-Bus service name `org.freedesktop.portal.Flatpak`) allows apps in a Flatpak sandbox to launch their own subprocesses in a new sandbox instance, either with the same security settings as the caller or with more restrictive security settings. For example, this is used in Flatpak-packaged web browsers such as Chromium to launch subprocesses that will process untrusted web content, and give those subprocesses a more restrictive sandbox than the browser itself. In vulnerable versions, the Flatpak portal service passes caller-specified environment variables to non-sandboxed processes on the host system, and in particular to the `flatpak run` command that is used to launch the new sandbox instance. A malicious or compromised Flatpak app could set environment variables that are trusted by the `flatpak run` command, and use them to execute arbitrary code that is not in a sandbox. As a workaround, this vulnerability can be mitigated by preventing the `flatpak-portal` service from starting, but that mitigation will prevent many Flatpak apps from working correctly. This is fixed in versions 1.8.5 and 1.10.0.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00595 48th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed flatpak (flatpak): 1.8.5, 1.10.0Red Hat: 4 advisories

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
flatpakflatpak0.11.4 to before 1.8.5; 1.9.0 to before 1.10.01.8.5, 1.10.0Patch availableCNA
  • flatpak Vendorflatpak Affected 0.11.4 to before 1.8.5; 1.9.0 to before 1.10.0 Fixed in 1.8.5, 1.10.0 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 2

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:flatpak:flatpak:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*0.11.4 to before 1.8.5; 1.9.1 to before 1.10.0Vulnerableflatpak
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*10.0VulnerableDebian
  • cpe:2.3:a:flatpak:flatpak:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 0.11.4 to before 1.8.5; 1.9.1 to before 1.10.0 Vulnerable ·flatpak
  • cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 10.0 Vulnerable ·Debian

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA flatpak (flatpak) Fixed in 1.8.5, 1.10.0

Red Hat 4 advisories

  • RHSA-2021:0411 Released 2021-02-04 · Red Hat rating Important
    flatpak security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) flatpak-1.0.9-10.el7_9, flatpak-libs-1.0.9-10.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) flatpak-builder-1.0.0-10.el7_9, flatpak-devel-1.0.9-10.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) flatpak-1.0.9-10.el7_9, flatpak-builder-1.0.0-10.el7_9, flatpak-devel-1.0.9-10.el7_9 +1
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) flatpak-1.0.9-10.el7_9, flatpak-libs-1.0.9-10.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) flatpak-builder-1.0.0-10.el7_9, flatpak-devel-1.0.9-10.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) flatpak-1.0.9-10.el7_9, flatpak-libs-1.0.9-10.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) flatpak-builder-1.0.0-10.el7_9, flatpak-devel-1.0.9-10.el7_9
  • RHSA-2021:0307 Released 2021-02-01 · Red Hat rating Important
    flatpak security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 8.2) flatpak-1.6.2-4.el8_2, flatpak-libs-1.6.2-4.el8_2, flatpak-selinux-1.6.2-4.el8_2 +1
  • RHSA-2021:0306 Released 2021-02-01 · Red Hat rating Important
    flatpak security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 8.1) flatpak-1.0.9-3.el8_1, flatpak-libs-1.0.9-3.el8_1
Show 1 more Red Hat advisories
  • RHSA-2021:0304 Released 2021-02-01 · Red Hat rating Important
    flatpak security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) flatpak-1.6.2-5.el8_3, flatpak-libs-1.6.2-5.el8_3, flatpak-selinux-1.6.2-5.el8_3 +1

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8)Fixed RHSA-2021:0304
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 8.1)Fixed RHSA-2021:0306
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 8.2)Fixed RHSA-2021:0307
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:0411
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:0411
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:0411
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:0411
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:0411
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:0411
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:0411
Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-21261

References

  • TI-2026-26401 Flatpak has a complete sandbox escape leading to host file access and code execution in the host context CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
  • TI-2024-28440 Flatpak may allow access to files outside sandbox for certain apps CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
  • TI-2023-12679 TIOCLINUX can send commands outside sandbox if running on a virtual console CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
  • TI-2026-26402 Flatpak affected by arbitrary file deletion on the host filesystem CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
  • TI-2019-07389 Flatpak before 1.0.8, 1.1.x and 1.2.x before 1.2.4, and 1.3.x before 1.3.1 allows a… CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.0
  • TI-2021-19666 Permissions granted to applications can be hidden from the user at install time CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
See all 14 →

Sources