CVE-2026-63622

Libvirt: swtpm privilege escalation via symlink following

Published Aug 10, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7.8 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
A flaw was found in libvirt. A local attacker, specifically a process running as the confined `swtpm` user, could exploit a symlink-following vulnerability in the `virFileChownFiles()` function. By planting a symbolic link within the `swtpm` state directory, the attacker could trick the root-level libvirt daemon into changing the ownership of an arbitrary file to the `swtpm` user. This allows for privilege escalation from the `swtpm` sandbox to root-level file ownership control.

Remediation

Vendor Workaround

If virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM) functionality is not required, remove the <tpm> device definition from the domain XML configuration to prevent the vulnerable code path from being reached. To check if a domain uses vTPM: ``` virsh dumpxml <domain> | grep -A5 '<tpm' ``` To remove it, edit the domain XML and delete the <tpm> block. This prevents libvirt from spawning swtpm processes and from calling virFileChownFiles() on the swtpm state directory during domain startup. Domains that require vTPM for guest OS functionality cannot use this mitigation and should prioritize applying the upstream fix.

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8833-1 libvirt vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_els:6
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10 cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10.2
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9 cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream
cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::crb
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.4::appstream
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus_long_life:8.4::appstream
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Els
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7 cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_els:7
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Els
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Aus
Redhat rhel Eus Long Life
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.6::appstream
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus_long_life:8.6::appstream
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Aus
Redhat rhel Eus Long Life
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Tus
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.8::appstream
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_tus:8.8::appstream
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Tus
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:9.4::appstream
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel E4s
Redhat rhel Eus
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:9.2::appstream
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:9.6::appstream
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:9.6::crb
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel E4s
Redhat rhel Eus
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat enterprise Linux Eus
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:10.0
Vendors & Products Redhat enterprise Linux Eus
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Libvirt
Libvirt libvirt
Redhat enterprise Linux For Nvidia 26
Vendors & Products Libvirt
Libvirt libvirt
Redhat enterprise Linux For Nvidia 26
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A flaw was found in libvirt. A local attacker, specifically a process running as the confined `swtpm` user, could exploit a symlink-following vulnerability in the `virFileChownFiles()` function. By planting a symbolic link within the `swtpm` state directory, the attacker could trick the root-level libvirt daemon into changing the ownership of an arbitrary file to the `swtpm` user. This allows for privilege escalation from the `swtpm` sandbox to root-level file ownership control.
Title Libvirt: swtpm privilege escalation via symlink following
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat enterprise Linux Nvidia
Weaknesses CWE-59
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux_nvidia:
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat enterprise Linux Nvidia
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}