Incus is a system container and virtual machine manager. Versions 6.21.0 and below allow a user with the ability to launch a container with a custom image (e.g a member of the ‘incus’ group) to use directory traversal or symbolic links in the templating functionality to achieve host arbitrary file read, and host arbitrary file write. This ultimately results in arbitrary command execution on the host. When using an image with a metadata.yaml containing templates, both the source and target paths are not checked for symbolic links or directory traversal. This can also be exploited in IncusOS. A fix is planned for versions 6.0.6 and 6.21.0, but they have not been released at the time of publication.
History

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linuxcontainers
Linuxcontainers incus
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:linuxcontainers:incus:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linuxcontainers
Linuxcontainers incus

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 22:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Lxc
Lxc incus
Vendors & Products Lxc
Lxc incus

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 23:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Incus is a system container and virtual machine manager. Versions 6.21.0 and below allow a user with the ability to launch a container with a custom image (e.g a member of the ‘incus’ group) to use directory traversal or symbolic links in the templating functionality to achieve host arbitrary file read, and host arbitrary file write. This ultimately results in arbitrary command execution on the host. When using an image with a metadata.yaml containing templates, both the source and target paths are not checked for symbolic links or directory traversal. This can also be exploited in IncusOS. A fix is planned for versions 6.0.6 and 6.21.0, but they have not been released at the time of publication.
Title Incus container image templating arbitrary host file read and write
Weaknesses CWE-22
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published: 2026-01-22T21:45:55.696Z

Updated: 2026-01-26T21:02:48.738Z

Reserved: 2026-01-19T14:49:06.312Z

Link: CVE-2026-23954

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-01-26T21:02:44.533Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2026-01-22T22:16:20.833

Modified: 2026-01-30T17:28:49.473

Link: CVE-2026-23954

cve-icon Redhat

No data.