CVE-2026-13201
Kubevirt: virt-handler-rhel9: kubevirt: safepath symlink following in virt-handler enables notify socket hijacking and node-level vm disruption
Description
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 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.
INFO
Published Date :
June 24, 2026, 9:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
July 6, 2026, 5:51 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-13201
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | 53f830b8-0a3f-465b-8143-3b8a9948e749 | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update KubeVirt to a patched version.
- Verify file descriptor handling logic.
- Review host path access controls.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-13201.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-13201 | Mitigation Vendor Advisory |
| https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492203 | Issue Tracking Vendor Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-13201 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-13201
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-13201 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-13201 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
Jul. 06, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:kubevirt:kubevirt:-:*:*:*:*:kubernetes:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_virtualization:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 4 up to (including) 4.22.0 Added Reference Type Red Hat, Inc.: https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-13201 Types: Mitigation, Vendor Advisory Added Reference Type Red Hat, Inc.: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492203 Types: Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory -
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Jun. 26, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-13201', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'partial'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-06-25T23:04:34.331359Z'} -
CVE Modified by [email protected]
Jun. 26, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Changed Description A flaw was found in KubeVirt's safepath package. The OpenAtNoFollow function uses O_PATH|O_NOFOLLOW to obtain a file descriptor to a path leaf, but downstream helpers operate 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 cause virt-handler to apply file ownership or permission changes to an unintended host path. 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 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. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:H Removed CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:L -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Jun. 24, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'cpes': ['cpe:/a:redhat:container_native_virtualization:4'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization 4', 'packageName': 'container-native-virtualization/virt-handler', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'cpes': ['cpe:/a:redhat:container_native_virtualization:4'], 'vendor': 'Red Hat', 'product': 'Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization 4', 'packageName': 'container-native-virtualization/virt-handler-rhel9', 'collectionURL': 'https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] Added Description A flaw was found in KubeVirt's safepath package. The OpenAtNoFollow function uses O_PATH|O_NOFOLLOW to obtain a file descriptor to a path leaf, but downstream helpers operate 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 cause virt-handler to apply file ownership or permission changes to an unintended host path. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:L Added CWE CWE-61 Added Reference https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-13201 Added Reference https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492203