Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Kata Containers versions 3.4.0 through 3.28.0 have a policy weakness that can let an untrusted host write into protected guest workload images. This can undermine container isolation, including confidential VM scenarios, by enabling binary overwrite and data theft. The supplied sources say the issue is fixed in version 3.29.0.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority isolation risk for platforms using Kata Containers. It can weaken the boundary between an untrusted host and guest workloads, including CVMs, so remediation should be scheduled promptly where affected versions are present.
Technical view
The flaw involves CopyFile policy handling and symlink behavior, allowing arbitrary writes inside the guest workload image from an untrusted host context. Impact includes confidentiality, integrity, and availability loss across a changed scope. The CVE is rated CVSS 8.8 high and maps to CWE-1220 and CWE-61.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely where Kata Containers is deployed at versions >=3.4.0 and <3.29.0, especially multi-tenant or confidential-computing environments that rely on guest isolation from the host.
Exploitation context
The supplied bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Exploitation requires local, low-privileged host-side access, but no user interaction and may affect guest workload integrity and confidentiality.
Researcher notes
Evidence identifies a symlink-related CopyFile policy subversion issue and a specific upstream fixed version. The supplied sources do not provide safe operational indicators, exploit telemetry, or complete downstream product impact beyond referenced vendor advisories.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Kata Containers to version 3.29.0 or later.
- Apply applicable vendor updates, including Red Hat errata where relevant.
- Inventory clusters and nodes for Kata Containers versions 3.4.0 through 3.28.0.
- Check Kata Containers and OS vendor advisories for environment-specific mitigation guidance.
- Prioritize confidential VM and multi-tenant deployments for remediation.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed Kata Containers versions across all runtime hosts.
- Verify patched packages or upstream version 3.29.0 are deployed.
- Review Red Hat CVE and VEX status for affected subscribed products.
- Check deployment records for CopyFile-dependent workflows using affected versions.
- Monitor vendor advisories for updated impact or mitigation details.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-1220: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCWE-61: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-41326 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H26redhat-SADPCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N——GitHub_MVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
8.2HighVector: 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
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Reported to Red Hat.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Made public.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
- 2026-04-22T19:00:36.343Z: Reported to Red Hat.
- 2026-04-22T19:01:25.112Z: Made public.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/security/advisories/GHSA-q49m-57vm-c8ccCVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/commit/1b9e49eb2763aa6ea6a99b276d3ff5e2c7f658f2CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-41326CVE reference, redhat-SADP · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2460859CVE reference, redhat-SADP · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-41326.jsonCVE reference, redhat-SADP · x_sadp-csaf-vex
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:25200CVE reference, redhat-SADP · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Insufficient Granularity of Access Control
Insufficient Granularity of Access Control represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following
UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.