Cross-project instance copy bypasses target project restrictions via TOCTOU in config merge
An authorization bypass vulnerability in LXD due to a timing flaw during configuration merging allows an authenticated attacker to bypass target project restrictions during cross-project instance copies. When copying an instance to a target project, LXD performs restriction checks before configuration merging is complete, creating a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) condition. An attacker can exploit this flaw to copy instances with disallowed high-privilege configurations into restricted projects, bypassing security controls.
- Published
- Aug 12, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 11, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.3% · 25th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-367
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Report tools
Action score
39
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.9 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.3%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · canonical
- 9.9
- 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.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| canonical | lxd | cpe:2.3:a:canonical:lxd |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- canonical lxd5.0.0 and later · before 5.0.8
- canonical lxd5.1 and later · before 5.21.6
- canonical lxd6.0 and later · before 6.9
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (canonical). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Canonical LXD
- 5.0.0 and later · before 5.0.8affected · semver
- 5.21.0 and later · before 5.21.6affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | lxd | all versions | — |
| openSUSE:Leap 16.0 | lxd | before 5.21.6-bp160.1.1 | 5.21.6-bp160.1.1 |
Same product
canonical: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-87799Arbitrary file write on LXD host via symlink in migration stream39Monitor
- CVE-2026-85526Path traversal via Btrfs optimized-backup subvolumes[].path enables root file/dir manipulation in LXD39Monitor
- CVE-2026-66897Instance template path traversal allows arbitrary host file write as root39Monitor
- CVE-2026-66898Path traversal via unvalidated instance name in backup tarball restore enables root file write / RCE39Monitor
- CVE-2026-63300Cross-project instance move bypasses all project restrictions allowing host command execution39Monitor
- CVE-2026-63299Storage volume cross-project move and snapshot restore bypass project disk limits39Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Canonical LXD | 5.0.8 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Canonical LXD | 5.21.6 | Vendor (CNA) |
| openSUSE:lxd | 5.21.6-bp160.1.1 · openSUSE:Leap 16.0 | Package 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.
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.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, 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.
No nightly-computed relations.
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
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-367 · Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race ConditionCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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