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CVE-2026-41579· NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

runc: Malicious image with /dev symlink can trigger limited host filesystem integrity violations

runc is a CLI tool for spawning and running containers according to the OCI specification. In versions prior to 1.3.6, 1.4.0-rc.1, 1.4.0-rc.12, 1.5.0-rc.1, and 1.5.0-rc.1, when setting up the container rootfs, setupPtmx and setupDevSymlinks call os.Remove and os.Symlink with a filepath.Join string which allow an image with /dev as a symlink to trick runc into deleting files called ptmx on the host or creating a hardcoded set of symlinks with specific names and targets in an arbitrary pre-existing host directory. This issue is not exploitable under Docker, because Docker creates a top-level read-only layer that masks any malicious /dev symlink present in the container image — unlike some other Linux container tooling, whose higher-level runtimes built on runc remain exposed to exploitation via a malicious image. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.3.6, 1.4.3 and 1.5.0.

LowCVSS 3.3 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jun 30, 2026
Updated
Jul 2, 2026
EPSS
0.2% · 8th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

13

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
13 / 40 · 3.3 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.2%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · GitHub_M
3.3
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

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Affected systems

VendorProduct
linuxfoundationrunc

Using runc? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (Docker)

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Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linuxfoundation runcbefore 1.3.6
  • linuxfoundation runc1.4.0 and later · before 1.4.3
  • linuxfoundation runc1.5.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • opencontainers runc

    • < 1.3.6, >= 1.4.0-rc.1, < 1.4.3, >= 1.5.0-rc.1, < 1.5.0-rc.3affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12runcall versions—
Debian:14runcbefore 1.3.6+ds1-11.3.6+ds1-1
Gogithub.com/opencontainers/runcfrom 1.4.0 · before 1.4.31.4.3
Gogithub.com/opencontainers/runcfrom 1.5.0-rc.1 · before 1.5.0-rc.31.5.0-rc.3
Gogithub.com/opencontainers/runcbefore 1.3.61.3.6
openSUSE:Leap 16.0runcbefore 1.3.6-160000.1.11.3.6-160000.1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedruncbefore 1.4.3-1.11.4.3-1.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3runcbefore 1.3.6-150000.101.11.3.6-150000.101.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server LTSS Extended Security 12 SP5runcbefore 1.3.6-16.76.11.3.6-16.76.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0runcbefore 1.3.6-1.11.3.6-1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.1runcbefore 1.3.6-slfo.1.1_1.11.3.6-slfo.1.1_1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2runcbefore 1.3.6-160000.1.11.3.6-160000.1.1

Same product

linuxfoundation: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2024-21626runc container breakout through process.cwd trickery and leaked fds
    40Plan
  • CVE-2021-30465runc before 1.0.0-rc95 allows a Container Filesystem Breakout via Directory Traversal.
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2025-52565container escape due to /dev/console mount and related races
    33Monitor
  • CVE-2023-28642AppArmor bypass with symlinked /proc in runc
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2022-29162Incorrect Default Permissions in runc
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2025-52881runc: LSM labels can be bypassed with malicious config using dummy procfs files
    29Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
azl3 runc 1.3.3-2 on Azure Linux 3.01.3.6-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
debian:runc1.3.6+ds1-1 · Debian:14Package registry (OSV)
Go:github.com/opencontainers/runc1.3.6Package registry (OSV)
Go:github.com/opencontainers/runc1.4.3Package registry (OSV)
Go:github.com/opencontainers/runc1.5.0-rc.3Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:runc1.4.3-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
suse:runc1.3.6-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2025-52565236 days apartcontainer escape due to /dev/console mount and related races
    33Monitor
  • CVE-2025-31133236 days apartrunc container escape via "masked path" abuse due to mount race conditions
    29Monitor
  • CVE-2025-52881236 days apartrunc: LSM labels can be bypassed with malicious config using dummy procfs files
    29Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
low · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
none
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
Low
Availability impact
None

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-61 · UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records