CVE Intelligence
Skip to main content
criticalPath Traversalpublic exploit

CVE-2026-87799

CVE-2026-87799 — Arbitrary file write on LXD host via symlink in migration stream

Improper link resolution in the migration receive path in Canonical LXD versions 4.0 and later (fixed in 4.0.14, 5.0.10, 5.21.8 and 6.10) on Linux allows an authenticated client that can create instances or custom storage volumes in a project, or a malicious migration source server, to write attacker-controlled files to arbitrary paths on the target host as root, leading to full host compromise. The attacker does this with a crafted rsync or btrfs send stream that plants a symlink in the transferred volume, such as rootfs or root.img, and then writes through it.

Published Updated Sources: NVD, Canonical (CNA), GitHub

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Exploit code

public exploit, none observed

EPSS

Not scored

FIRST has not published a score

Affects

Canonical

4 products listed

CVSS base

9.9

critical

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Upgrade to LXD versions 4.0.14, 5.0.10, 5.21.8, 6.10 or later.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.

  • Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
  • Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
  • Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatus
CanonicalLXD4.0.0 to < 4.0.14Vulnerable
CanonicalLXD5.0.0 to < 5.0.10Vulnerable
CanonicalLXD5.21.0 to < 5.21.8Vulnerable
CanonicalLXD6.0 to < 6.10Vulnerable

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

High

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Scope

Changed

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Network

Privileges Req

Low

User Interaction

None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactSource
9.9CVSS 3.1critical3.16ubuntu.com (CNA), Canonical (CNA)

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness & attack patterns

  • CWE-59Link Following

Inferred from the weakness class — not observed against this CVE.

CAPEC-126 · Path TraversalCAPEC-139 · Relative Path Traversal
  • T1547.009Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Shortcut Modification
  • T1574.005Hijack Execution Flow: Executable Installer File Permissions Weakness
  • T1574.010Hijack Execution Flow: Services File Permissions Weakness

Public exploit

Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.

Repositories

1

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

  • Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable LXD.
  • Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 1 public PoC repositories were reported.
web/proxy/WAF logsapplication logsnetwork IDS/IPS

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.

  1. 2026
  2. Added · CVSS 3.1 9.9 (AV:N)

    Sep 28, 2026 · NVD

  3. Initial · CVE published

    Sep 28, 2026 · NVD

References

1 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record1

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-87799 is Arbitrary file write on LXD host via symlink in migration stream, a critical vulnerability affecting LXD from Canonical. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-87799. Public exploit evidence is: 1 public PoC repositories reported; 0 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 9.9 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.