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TI-2021-17972 Aliases CVE-2021-41133

Sandbox bypass via recent VFS-manipulating syscalls

Priority MEDIUM 40CWE-20Published · 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 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

Flatpak is a system for building, distributing, and running sandboxed desktop applications on Linux. In versions prior to 1.10.4 and 1.12.0, Flatpak apps with direct access to AF_UNIX sockets such as those used by Wayland, Pipewire or pipewire-pulse can trick portals and other host-OS services into treating the Flatpak app as though it was an ordinary, non-sandboxed host-OS process. They can do this by manipulating the VFS using recent mount-related syscalls that are not blocked by Flatpak's denylist seccomp filter, in order to substitute a crafted `/.flatpak-info` or make that file disappear entirely. Flatpak apps that act as clients for AF_UNIX sockets such as those used by Wayland, Pipewire or pipewire-pulse can escalate the privileges that the corresponding services will believe the Flatpak app has. Note that protocols that operate entirely over the D-Bus session bus (user bus), system bus or accessibility bus are not affected by this. This is due to the use of a proxy process `xdg-dbus-proxy`, whose VFS cannot be manipulated by the Flatpak app, when interacting with these buses. Patches exist for versions 1.10.4 and 1.12.0, and as of time of publication, a patch for version 1.8.2 is being planned. There are no workarounds aside from upgrading to a patched version.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00436 38th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed flatpak (flatpak): 1.10.4, 1.12.0Red Hat: 4 advisories

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
flatpakflatpak1.8.0 – 1.8.2; 1.10.0 to before 1.10.4; 1.11.0 to before 1.12.01.10.4, 1.12.0Patch availableCNA
  • flatpak Vendorflatpak Affected 1.8.0 – 1.8.2; 1.10.0 to before 1.10.4; 1.11.0 to before 1.12.0 Fixed in 1.10.4, 1.12.0 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 4

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:flatpak:flatpak:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 1.8.2; 1.10.0 to before 1.10.4; 1.11.1 to before 1.12.1Vulnerableflatpak
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*11.0VulnerableDebian
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*33VulnerableFedoraproject
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*34VulnerableFedoraproject
  • cpe:2.3:a:flatpak:flatpak:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 1.8.2; 1.10.0 to before 1.10.4; 1.11.1 to before 1.12.1 Vulnerable ·flatpak
  • cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
  • cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 33 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
  • cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 34 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA flatpak (flatpak) Fixed in 1.10.4, 1.12.0

Red Hat 4 advisories

  • RHSA-2021:4107 Released 2021-11-02 · Red Hat rating Important
    flatpak security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 8.2) flatpak-1.6.2-6.el8_2, flatpak-libs-1.6.2-6.el8_2, flatpak-selinux-1.6.2-6.el8_2 +1
  • RHSA-2021:4106 Released 2021-11-02 · Red Hat rating Important
    flatpak security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 8.1) flatpak-1.0.9-5.el8_1, flatpak-libs-1.0.9-5.el8_1
  • RHSA-2021:4044 Released 2021-11-01 · Red Hat rating Important
    flatpak security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) flatpak-1.0.9-12.el7_9, flatpak-libs-1.0.9-12.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) flatpak-builder-1.0.0-12.el7_9, flatpak-devel-1.0.9-12.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) flatpak-1.0.9-12.el7_9, flatpak-builder-1.0.0-12.el7_9, flatpak-devel-1.0.9-12.el7_9 +1
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) flatpak-1.0.9-12.el7_9, flatpak-libs-1.0.9-12.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) flatpak-builder-1.0.0-12.el7_9, flatpak-devel-1.0.9-12.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) flatpak-1.0.9-12.el7_9, flatpak-libs-1.0.9-12.el7_9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) flatpak-builder-1.0.0-12.el7_9, flatpak-devel-1.0.9-12.el7_9
Show 1 more Red Hat advisories
  • RHSA-2021:4042 Released 2021-11-01 · Red Hat rating Important
    flatpak security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) flatpak-1.8.5-4.el8_4, flatpak-libs-1.8.5-4.el8_4, flatpak-selinux-1.8.5-4.el8_4 +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-2021:4042
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 8.1)Fixed RHSA-2021:4106
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 8.2)Fixed RHSA-2021:4107
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:4044
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:4044
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:4044
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:4044
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:4044
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:4044
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2021:4044
Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-41133

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