How severe is CVE-2026-16033?

CVE-2026-16033 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity low, and availability none.

Is CVE-2026-16033 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (27th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-16033?

CVE-2026-16033 affects Canonical Lxd. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-16033?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2026-16033 published?

CVE-2026-16033 was published on 2026-08-12 and last updated on 2026-09-11.

CVE-2026-16033

CVE-2026-16033 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Lxd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-22.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (27th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Canonical Lxd
Published: 2026-08-12
Last modified: 2026-09-11

Description

A path traversal vulnerability in LXD allows an attacker to achieve arbitrary host file read or unconstrained file creation. When processing image metadata templates, LXD fails to properly sanitize or restrict template file paths from escaping the instance templates directory (specifically affecting virtual machine / QEMU driver execution paths). An attacker can exploit this flaw by providing a crafted image archive with malicious template directives containing path traversal sequences, causing LXD to access or write files outside the intended template directory on the host system.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-16033?: A path traversal vulnerability in LXD allows an attacker to achieve arbitrary host file read or unconstrained file creation. When processing image metadata templates, LXD fails to properly sanitize or restrict template file paths from escaping the instance templates directory (specifically affecting virtual machine / QEMU driver execution paths). An attacker can exploit this flaw by providing a crafted image archive with malicious template directives containing path traversal sequences, causing LXD to access or write files outside the intended template directory on the host system.
How severe is CVE-2026-16033?: CVE-2026-16033 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity low, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-16033 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (27th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-16033?: CVE-2026-16033 affects Canonical Lxd. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-16033?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2026-16033 published?: CVE-2026-16033 was published on 2026-08-12 and last updated on 2026-09-11.

References

https://github.com/canonical/lxd/security/advisories/GHSA-9hcm-hxh5-7xxh

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:canonical:lxd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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