# CVE-2026-41579: runc: Malicious image with /dev symlink can trigger limited host filesystem integrity violations > A malicious container image can trick runc into deleting host files or creating symlinks, compromising host filesystem integrity. - **Severity:** Low 3.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 1 Jul 2026 - **Updated:** 1 Jul 2026 - **Also known as:** AZL-91590, BELL-CVE-2026-41579, CLEANSTART-2026-GY71678, CLEANSTART-2026-RD37922, CLSA-2026-1783518302, CLSA-2026-1784034091, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-41579, ECHO-8ef4-9440-0016, GHSA-xjvp-4fhw-gc47, GO-2026-5761, MINI-23qg-qq54-p48h, MINI-2pfm-jhhr-wm3h, MINI-2qqj-7wj5-jgpx, MINI-4x4v-42pc-2357, MINI-77jw-r8m5-vwhw, MINI-7gmv-8pxm-vchm, MINI-7qfv-hp5j-qpf8, MINI-7wr5-9rfq-p8j5, MINI-8cm2-p6jj-c5rr, MINI-933h-g6fh-99jm, MINI-95pf-rcr5-57h5, MINI-96g9-22c2-9x5v, MINI-9c64-5p8x-fg8r, MINI-c3qh-82fg-gjfr, MINI-fccc-q545-rqm2, MINI-ff8v-2245-q79g, MINI-h2vm-h37g-8h5p, MINI-h87j-g34h-6w9g, MINI-hj8x-wxv3-p5c9, MINI-hwq8-9crg-rj79, MINI-jc9g-pp45-q5q2, MINI-jh72-gq3h-c576, MINI-pgv2-6mj7-6mwc, MINI-qr36-cmv6-675w, MINI-v359-jc24-3v4w, MINI-v4pv-qg54-wm6c, MINI-w2j4-5434-qmwx, MINI-wqj3-phjx-p33j, MINI-x4xr-94f6-m6hw, MINI-xqww-jwf6-6924, MINI-xw75-qh2f-3xgh, OESA-2026-3154, SUSE-SU-2026:23047-1, SUSE-SU-2026:23164-1, SUSE-SU-2026:3428-2, SUSE-SU-2026:3433-2, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-41579, openSUSE-SU-2026:11301-1 ## What is CVE-2026-41579? CVE-2026-41579 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in opencontainers runc, published on 1 Jul 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link. ### Official description runc is a CLI tool for spawning and running containers according to the OCI specification. In versions prior to 1.3.6, 1.4.0-rc.1, 1.4.0-rc.12, 1.5.0-rc.1, and 1.5.0-rc.1, when setting up the container rootfs, setupPtmx and setupDevSymlinks call os.Remove and os.Symlink with a filepath.Join string which allow an image with /dev as a symlink to trick runc into deleting files called ptmx on the host or creating a hardcoded set of symlinks with specific names and targets in an arbitrary pre-existing host directory. This issue is not exploitable under Docker, because Docker creates a top-level read-only layer that masks any malicious /dev symlink present in the container image — unlike some other Linux container tooling, whose higher-level runtimes built on runc remain exposed to exploitation via a malicious image. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.3.6, 1.4.3 and 1.5.0. Weakness: CWE-61 (UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-41579? 7 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/opencontainers/runc. It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `github.com/opencontainers/runc` | Go | All versions | 1.3.6, 1.4.3, 1.5.0-rc.3 | | `github.com/opencontainers/runc` | Go | All versions | 1.3.6 | | `github.com/opencontainers/runc` | Go | All versions | 1.3.6 | | `github.com/opencontainers/runc` | Go | From 1.4.0 | 1.4.3 | | `github.com/opencontainers/runc` | Go | From 1.4.0 | 1.4.3 | | `github.com/opencontainers/runc` | Go | From 1.5.0-rc.1 | 1.5.0-rc.3 | | `github.com/opencontainers/runc` | Go | From 1.5.0-rc.1 | 1.5.0-rc.3 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-ESPOS | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-LTSS | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS | All versions | 1.3.6-16.76.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5-LTSS | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6-LTSS | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP5 | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP6 | All versions | 1.3.6-150000.101.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0 | All versions | 1.3.6-1.1 | | `runc` | SUSE:Linux Micro 6.1 | All versions | 1.3.6-slfo.1.1_1.1 | | `runc` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 1.4.3-1.1 | Products: Linuxfoundation Runc. ## How do I fix CVE-2026-41579? Upgrade github.com/opencontainers/runc to a fixed version for your release line: 1.3.6, 1.4.3 or 1.5.0-rc.3. ## Is CVE-2026-41579 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-41579 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Other vulnerabilities in opencontainers runc - [CVE-2025-52565](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-52565/): container escape due to /dev/console mount and related races (high 8.4) - [CVE-2025-31133](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-31133/): runc container escape via "masked path" abuse due to mount race conditions (high 7.3) - [CVE-2025-52881](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-52881/): runc: LSM labels can be bypassed with malicious config using dummy procfs files (high 7.3) - [CVE-2023-28642](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28642/): AppArmor bypass with symlinked /proc in runc (medium 6.1) - [CVE-2023-25809](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25809/): rootless: `/sys/fs/cgroup` is writable when cgroupns isn't unshared in runc (medium 5.0) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2026-41579 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2026-41579 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in opencontainers runc, published on 1 Jul 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-41579 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected packages and fixed versions: - github.com/opencontainers/runc (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.3.6, 1.4.3, 1.5.0-rc.3 - github.com/opencontainers/runc (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.3.6 - github.com/opencontainers/runc (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.3.6 - github.com/opencontainers/runc (Go): affected from 1.4.0; fixed in 1.4.3 - github.com/opencontainers/runc (Go): affected from 1.4.0; fixed in 1.4.3 - github.com/opencontainers/runc (Go): affected from 1.5.0-rc.1; fixed in 1.5.0-rc.3 - github.com/opencontainers/runc (Go): affected from 1.5.0-rc.1; fixed in 1.5.0-rc.3 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-2026-41579/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41579/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41579 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41579 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41579 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41579/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.