# CVE-2026-23268: apparmor: fix unprivileged local user can do privileged policy management > Unprivileged local users can escalate privileges or bypass security controls by manipulating privileged processes to modify AppArmor policies via a confused deputy attack. - **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Any signed-in user - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 18 Mar 2026 - **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026 - **Also known as:** AZL-80094, BELL-CVE-2026-23268, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23268, GHSA-8qv8-8mpp-cc7j, SUSE-SU-2026:1444-1, SUSE-SU-2026:1454-1, SUSE-SU-2026:1469-1, SUSE-SU-2026:1527-1, SUSE-SU-2026:1531-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21266-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21267-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21271-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21277-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21281-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21282-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21301-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21303-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21304-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21314-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21315-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21331-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21332-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21342-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21344-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21345-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21347-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21348-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21387-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21388-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21399-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21401-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-23268 ## What is CVE-2026-23268? CVE-2026-23268 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Mar 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: apparmor: fix unprivileged local user can do privileged policy management An unprivileged local user can load, replace, and remove profiles by opening the apparmorfs interfaces, via a confused deputy attack, by passing the opened fd to a privileged process, and getting the privileged process to write to the interface. This does require a privileged target that can be manipulated to do the write for the unprivileged process, but once such access is achieved full policy management is possible and all the possible implications that implies: removing confinement, DoS of system or target applications by denying all execution, by-passing the unprivileged user namespace restriction, to exploiting kernel bugs for a local privilege escalation. The policy management interface can not have its permissions simply changed from 0666 to 0600 because non-root processes need to be able to load policy to different policy namespaces. Instead ensure the task writing the interface has privileges that are a subset of the task that opened the interface. This is already done via policy for confined processes, but unconfined can delegate access to the opened fd, by-passing the usual policy check. ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23268? It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_18` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 | All versions | 4-150600.2.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_20` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 | All versions | 3-150600.2.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_7` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 | All versions | 4-150700.2.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_9` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 | All versions | 3-150700.2.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_8` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP7 | All versions | 4-150700.2.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_3` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2 | All versions | 4-160000.1.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_4` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2 | All versions | 4-160000.1.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_5` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2 | All versions | 3-160000.1.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_6` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2 | All versions | 2-160000.1.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_3` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2 | All versions | 5-160000.1.1 | | `kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_6` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2 | All versions | 2-160000.1.1 | Products: Linux kernel. ## How do I fix CVE-2026-23268? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2026-23268 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23268 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel - [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2026-23268 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2026-23268 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 Mar 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23268 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page. Task: 1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies. 2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it. 3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead. 4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why. 5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing. Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23268/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23268/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23268 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23268 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-23268 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23268/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.