CVE-2026-9640: CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization in Canonical LXD
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in LXD from 6.0 before 6.9, 5.21.0 before 5.21.5, and 5.0.0 before 5.0.7 regarding the handling of project-restriction policies during snapshot restoration.. An authenticated project operator in a restricted multi-tenant environment can bypass policy restrictions by importing a maliciously crafted instance backup containing restricted configuration keys within a snapshot. When the snapshot is restored, these restricted keys are applied to the live instance without policy validation. Starting the modified instance grants the operator unauthorized host root access.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability arises from incorrect authorization (CWE-863) in LXD's handling of project-restriction policies during snapshot restoration. Authenticated project operators can import snapshots with restricted configuration keys that bypass policy validation. When the snapshot is restored and the instance started, these keys are applied, resulting in unauthorized escalation to host root privileges. The affected versions are 5.0.0 before 5.0.7, 5.21.0 before 5.21.5, and 6.0 before 6.9. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.2 (High), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authenticated project operator in a restricted multi-tenant environment to gain unauthorized host root access by bypassing project-restriction policies during snapshot restoration. This results in full control over the host system, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host and its workloads.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or patch links are provided in the available data. Until a patch is available, restrict snapshot import privileges to fully trusted users and monitor for suspicious snapshot restoration activities. Follow vendor advisories for updates on remediation.
CVE-2026-9640: CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization in Canonical LXD
Description
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in LXD from 6.0 before 6.9, 5.21.0 before 5.21.5, and 5.0.0 before 5.0.7 regarding the handling of project-restriction policies during snapshot restoration.. An authenticated project operator in a restricted multi-tenant environment can bypass policy restrictions by importing a maliciously crafted instance backup containing restricted configuration keys within a snapshot. When the snapshot is restored, these restricted keys are applied to the live instance without policy validation. Starting the modified instance grants the operator unauthorized host root access.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.2high
Affected software
pkg:github/LXDRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability arises from incorrect authorization (CWE-863) in LXD's handling of project-restriction policies during snapshot restoration. Authenticated project operators can import snapshots with restricted configuration keys that bypass policy validation. When the snapshot is restored and the instance started, these keys are applied, resulting in unauthorized escalation to host root privileges. The affected versions are 5.0.0 before 5.0.7, 5.21.0 before 5.21.5, and 6.0 before 6.9. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.2 (High), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authenticated project operator in a restricted multi-tenant environment to gain unauthorized host root access by bypassing project-restriction policies during snapshot restoration. This results in full control over the host system, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host and its workloads.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or patch links are provided in the available data. Until a patch is available, restrict snapshot import privileges to fully trusted users and monitor for suspicious snapshot restoration activities. Follow vendor advisories for updates on remediation.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- canonical
- Date Reserved
- 2026-05-26T18:31:24.593Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a3ea3a16e08203f7db8ffa9
Added to database: 06/26/2026, 16:06:57 UTC
Last enriched: 06/26/2026, 16:21:42 UTC
Last updated: 06/26/2026, 16:52:23 UTC
Views: 3
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