Host Root Sandbox Escape in gVisor via Character Device Passthrough and CUSE
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- Privilege escalation
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-269.
Summary
Improper Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere in the host file helper (gofer) in Google gVisor prior to commit 573a9e73cf844f on Linux platforms with CUSE enabled allows a local attacker with container image deployment privileges to achieve root code execution on the host system. By including a /dev/cuse character device node in a container image, opening the device passes through to the host, allowing the sandboxed attacker to register a host device and exploit CUSE unrestricted ioctl handling to overwrite root udev helper memory.
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
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-96812
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-3chr-j932-q9pc
References
More Google vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-09686 Type confusion in Google Chrome KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-07390 Type confusion in Google Chrome KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
- TI-2024-04898 Type confusion in Google Chrome KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
- TI-2024-04600 Type confusion in Google Chrome KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
- TI-2024-04346 Use after free in Google Chrome KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
- TI-2023-05824 Integer overflow in Google Chrome KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
Sources
- CVE-2026-96812 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-96812 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-3chr-j932-q9pc · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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