# CVE-2026-41326: Kata Containers: CopyFile Policy Subversion via Symlinks

> Attackers can exploit symlink handling in CopyFile policy to write arbitrary files inside guest VMs, enabling binary overwrites and data exfiltration.

- **Severity:** High 8.2 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 1 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q49m-57vm-c8cc, GO-2026-5563

## What is CVE-2026-41326?

CVE-2026-41326 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in kata-containers, published on 24 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official 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.

Weakness: CWE-1220 (Insufficient Granularity of Access Control), CWE-61 (UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-41326?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers` | Go | All versions | 0.0.0-20260422180503-1b9e49eb2763 |
| `github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers` | Go | All versions | 0.0.0-20260422180503-1b9e49eb2763 |
| `github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers` | Go | All versions | 0.0.0-20260422180503-1b9e49eb2763 |

Products: Katacontainers Confidential Containers, Katacontainers Kata Containers.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-41326?

Upgrade github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers to 0.0.0-20260422180503-1b9e49eb2763 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-41326 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-41326 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-41326 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-41326 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in kata-containers, published on 24 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-41326 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.0-20260422180503-1b9e49eb2763
- github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.0-20260422180503-1b9e49eb2763
- github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.0.0-20260422180503-1b9e49eb2763

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-2026-41326/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41326/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41326
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41326
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41326

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41326/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.