LXD Backup Import Path Traversal Vulnerability for File Manipulation
CVE-2026-66898 Published on August 12, 2026
Path traversal via unvalidated instance name in backup tarball restore enables root file write / RCE
A path traversal vulnerability in LXD allows an attacker to manipulate file system paths during backup import and restore operations. When importing or restoring a backup archive, LXD fails to validate instance and storage volume names contained within the archive metadata. An attacker can exploit this flaw by supplying a crafted backup archive with malicious instance or volume names containing path traversal sequences, potentially allowing file access or overwriting outside the designated restore directory.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-66898 is exploitable with network access, and requires small amount of user privileges. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to be critical as this vulnerability has a high impact to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of this component.
Weakness Type
What is a Directory traversal Vulnerability?
The software uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the software does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
CVE-2026-66898 has been classified to as a Directory traversal vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-66898
Want to know whenever a new CVE is published for Canonical Lxd? stack.watch will email you.
Affected Versions
Canonical LXD:- Version 4.0.0 and below 4.0.12 is affected.
- Version 5.0.0 and below 5.0.4 is affected.
- Version 5.21.0 and below 5.21.2 is affected.
- Version 6.0 and below 6.1 is affected.