{"id":"CVE-2026-13201","title":"A flaw was found in KubeVirt's safepath package used by virt-handler","summary":"A flaw was found in KubeVirt's safepath package used by virt-handler. The OpenAtNoFollow function uses O_PATH|O_NOFOLLOW to obtain a file descriptor to a path leaf, but downstream operations resolve the path via /proc/self/fd/N using lin…","severity":"high","cvss":7.3,"cvssVector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:H","cwe":["CWE-61"],"vendor":"kubevirt","product":"kubevirt","affected":["kubevirt","openshift_virtualization >= 4, <= 4.22.0"],"patched":["container_native_virtualization 4.13","container_native_virtualization 4.14","container_native_virtualization 4.15","container_native_virtualization 4.16","container_native_virtualization 4.17","container_native_virtualization 4.18","container_native_virtualization 4.19","container_native_virtualization 4.20","container_native_virtualization 4.21","container_native_virtualization 4.22"],"published":"2026-06-24","updated":"2026-09-21","sourceUpdated":"2026-09-21T18:17:07.700","source":"NVD","sourceUrl":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-13201","references":[{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:51031","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53655","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53671","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53684","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53721","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53728","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53763","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53797","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53826","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53838","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-13201","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492203","label":"secalert@redhat.com"},{"url":"https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-13201.json"},{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-13201"},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-13201"}],"tags":["nvd","cve.org","csaf","vex","red-hat"],"epss":0.00222,"epssPercentile":0.13037,"ssvc":{"exploitation":"none","automatable":"no","technicalImpact":"partial","timestamp":"2026-06-25T23:04:34.331359Z"},"ingestedAt":"2026-07-06T18:45:21.293Z","slug":"CVE-2026-13201","body":"## Overview\n\nA flaw was found in KubeVirt's safepath package used by virt-handler. The OpenAtNoFollow function uses O_PATH|O_NOFOLLOW to obtain a file descriptor to a path leaf, but downstream operations resolve the path via /proc/self/fd/N using link-following syscalls. When the leaf is a symlink, the kernel dereferences it, defeating the intended no-follow protection. An attacker with access to a virt-launcher pod can exploit this to redirect virt-handler's IPC socket connections, including the notify socket used for VM domain lifecycle events. By hijacking this socket, the attacker can inject arbitrary domain events into virt-handler, causing it to take incorrect lifecycle actions, corrupt VM state in the Kubernetes API, or crash — resulting in sustained denial of VM management services for all virtual machines on the affected node. Additionally, the same symlink following flaw allows virt-handler to apply file ownership or permission changes to unintended host paths.\n\n## Affected\n\n- `kubevirt`\n- `openshift_virtualization >= 4, <= 4.22.0`\n\n## Remediation\n\nRefer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.\n\n## Vendor advisories\n\n- **RHSA-2026:53655** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.13 · released 2026-08-11 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53655)\n- **RHSA-2026:53671** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.14 · released 2026-08-11 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53671)\n- **RHSA-2026:53826** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.15 · released 2026-08-11 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53826)\n- **RHSA-2026:53721** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.16 · released 2026-08-11 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53721)\n- **RHSA-2026:53684** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.17 · released 2026-08-11 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53684)\n- **RHSA-2026:53838** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.18 · released 2026-08-11 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53838)\n- **RHSA-2026:53797** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.19 · released 2026-08-11 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53797)\n- **RHSA-2026:53763** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.20 · released 2026-08-11 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53763)\n- **RHSA-2026:53728** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.21 · released 2026-08-11 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:53728)\n- **RHSA-2026:51031** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.22 · released 2026-08-06 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:51031)\n- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · affected: Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization 4 · updated 2026-09-21 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-13201.json)","depth":"twilight","depthScore":40,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":40.2,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}