CVE-2026-41326: Kata Containers: CopyFile Policy Subversion via Symlinks
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2026-41326 is a high (CVSS 8.8) UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in kata-containers. EPSS estimates a 0.35% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 28.5% of scored vulnerabilities.
Not severe (CVSS 8.2, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources
Source freshness unavailable
How is this decided?Advisory lineage
Upstream 0 · Downstream 1 · Related 1Timeline
- 24-04-2026PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 01-09-2026Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
Description
Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. From v3.4.0 to v3.28.0, an oversight in the CopyFile policy (and perhaps the CopyFile handler) allows untrusted hosts to write to arbitrary locations inside the guest workload image. This can be used to overwrite binaries inside the guest and exfiltrate data from containers; even those running inside CVMs. This vulnerability is fixed in v3.29.0.
CVSS metrics
6 scores · 3 sources · 2 versions- OSV · GoEcosystem advisory · calculated8.2HighCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N
- NVDNIST8.2HighCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
- OSV · GoEcosystem advisory · calculated8.2HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:NDiffers
- NVDNIST8.2HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:NDiffers
EPSS trend
Probability
0.35%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
29%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
Decrease -0.02 pp
From 0.37% on 04-10-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEVNot in the CISA KEV catalog.
ENISA CNWNot in the ENISA CNW catalog.
CIRCLNot in the CIRCL catalog.
Public exploits
0 foundNo public exploits indexed.
Weaknesses
CWE · root cause- CWE-61UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) FollowingThe product, when opening a file or directory, does not sufficiently account for when the file is a symbolic link that resolves to a target outside of the intended control sphere. This could allow an attacker to cause the product to operate on unauthorized files.
- CWE-1220Insufficient Granularity of Access ControlThe product implements access controls via a policy or other feature with the intention to disable or restrict accesses (reads and/or writes) to assets in a system from untrusted agents. However, implemented access controls lack the required granularity
Affected systems
Known conditions: local access, no authentication, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.
Katacontainers2 products
- confidential_containers≥ 0.9.0, < 0.20.0
- kata_containers≥ 3.4.0, < 3.29.0
Github.com/kata-containers1 product
- kata-containers< 0.0.0-20260422180503-1b9e49eb2763
Kata-containers1 product
- kata-containers≥ 3.4.0, < 3.29.0
3 vendors · 4 products
References
9 links- github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/security/advisories/GHSA-q49m-57vm-c8ccX Refsource CONFIRMWEBAdvisoryThird Party Advisory
- github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/commit/1b9e49eb2763aa6ea6a99b276d3ff5e2c7f658f2X Refsource MISCWEBFIXPatch
