Bug 2558210 (CVE-2026-121876) - CVE-2026-121876 sandboxed-containers: kernel: systemd-gpt-auto-generator: Guest Data Leakage in Confidential Computing (Sandboxed Containers)
Summary: CVE-2026-121876 sandboxed-containers: kernel: systemd-gpt-auto-generator: Gue...
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: CVE-2026-121876
Deadline: 2026-11-12
Product: Security Response
Classification: Other
Component: vulnerability
Version: unspecified
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
high
high
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Product Security
QA Contact:
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2026-10-21 11:20 UTC by OSIDB Bzimport
Modified: 2026-11-12 14:31 UTC (History)
18 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-10-21 11:20:05 UTC
A vulnerability was found in the interaction between systemd-gpt-auto-generator and 
confidential computing guest VM images in OpenShift Sandboxed Containers (confidential 
peer pods). systemd-gpt-auto-generator automatically discovers and mounts GPT 
partitions by type GUID at boot with no user confirmation. In the confidential 
computing threat model where the host/hypervisor is the adversary, this allows a 
malicious host to inject partitions (most critically, a swap partition) into the 
guest's virtual disk. When a swap partition is activated, the guest kernel pages out 
TEE-encrypted memory to the host-controlled block device, defeating the entire 
confidentiality guarantee of the TEE.

The PodVM images use a GPT-partitioned disk with dm-verity on the root partition, 
but the roothash= kernel parameter only disables root auto-discovery — swap, /home, 
/var, /srv, and /var/tmp partitions are still auto-discovered and mounted. The 
systemd-gpt-auto-generator is shipped unmasked in the RHEL systemd-udev subpackage 
and no kernel command line parameter in the measured UKI addon disables it.

Attack vectors include:
1. Swap partition injection (Critical) — host attaches swap partition, guest kernel 
   pages out TEE-encrypted memory to host-readable block device
2. /var or /home mount replacement (High) — host captures data written to these 
   paths or injects malicious content
3. LUKS auto-unlock key exposure (Medium) — host-provided vTPM may enable key 
   extraction
4. ESP/XBOOTLDR replacement (Medium) — hostile ESP can inject modified boot 
   configuration

The PodVM measurement script captures PCRs 3, 9, 11, 12 but NOT PCR 5 (GPT partition 
table), so partition table modifications are not detected by remote attestation.

Reported by: Spyros Seimenis, Edgeless Systems (https://redhat.atlassian.net/browse/PSIRTSUPT-25976)


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