Bug 2499603 (CVE-2026-12080)

Summary:	CVE-2026-12080 qemu-kvm: qemu-guest-agent: Local privilege escalation via symlink attack in guest-ssh-add-authorized-keys
Product:	[Other] Security Response	Reporter:	OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component:	vulnerability	Assignee:	Product Security <prodsec-ir-bot>
Status:	NEW ---	QA Contact:
Severity:	high	Docs Contact:
Priority:	high
Version:	unspecified	CC:	akhatavk, aos-team-art-private, asdas, dpaolell, jdelft, jupierce, lgarciaa, mbiarnes, ppalepu, ppostler, prdhamdh, rhel-process-autobot, sghai, sidsharm, suppawar, vlaad, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone:	---	Keywords:	Security
Target Release:	---
Hardware:	All
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version:		Doc Type:	---
Doc Text:	A flaw was found in the QEMU Guest Agent (qga). A local unprivileged user can exploit a vulnerability in the guest-ssh-add-authorized-keys command handler by manipulating symbolic links. This can occur either through a deterministic directory-symlink bypass or a Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) file-symlink race. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to gain ownership of arbitrary root-owned files or directories, leading to root access. This vulnerability requires an external management layer (e.g., libvirt) to trigger the affected code path.	Story Points:	---
Clone Of:		Environment:
Last Closed:		Type:	---
Regression:	---	Mount Type:	---
Documentation:	---	CRM:
Verified Versions:		Category:	---
oVirt Team:	---	RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team:	---	Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:
Bug Depends On:	2499616
Bug Blocks:

Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-07-13 08:48:30 UTC

When qmp_guest_ssh_add_authorized_keys adds an SSH key for an existing local user, the agent (running as root) decides whether to create the user's .ssh directory with a symlink-following directory test, and then writes and chowns the authorized_keys file using a plain chown (not lchown). A local unprivileged user who owns their home directory can pre-stage their .ssh directory (or the authorized_keys file) as a symbolic link so that, when the host or operator triggers a key add for that user, the root agent follows the link and transfers ownership of an arbitrary root-owned file or directory to the unprivileged user, who can then rewrite it to obtain root.

Patch:
https://patchew.org/QEMU/20260709105707.91209-1-kkostiuk@redhat.com/

Comment 3 Mauro Matteo Cascella 2026-07-20 12:55:25 UTC

Upstream patch:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2026-07/msg02717.html