Sandbox bypass via recent VFS-manipulating syscalls
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
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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| flatpak | flatpak | 1.8.0 – 1.8.2; 1.10.0 to before 1.10.4; 1.11.0 to before 1.12.0 | 1.10.4, 1.12.0 | Patch available | CNA |
- 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
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:flatpak:flatpak:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 1.8.2; 1.10.0 to before 1.10.4; 1.11.1 to before 1.12.1 | Vulnerable | flatpak |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 33 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 34 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
- 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 Importantflatpak 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 Importantflatpak 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 Importantflatpak 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 Importantflatpak 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 →
| Product | Status | Plan 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
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-41133
References
Patch 9
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/security/advisories/GHSA-67h7-w3jq-vh4q
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/1330662f33a55e88bfe18e76de28b7922d91a999
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/26b12484eb8a6219b9e7aa287b298a894b2f34ca
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/462fca2c666e0cd2b60d6d2593a7216a83047aaf
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/4c34815784e9ffda5733225c7d95824f96375e36
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/89ae9fe74c6d445bb1b3a40e568d77cf5de47e48
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/9766ee05b1425db397d2cf23afd24c7f6146a69f
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/a10f52a7565c549612c92b8e736a6698a53db330
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/e26ac7586c392b5eb35ff4609fe232c52523b2cf
More Flatpak vulnerabilities
- 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
Sources
- CVE-2021-41133 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-41133 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2021-41133 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences