Ubuntu Libvirt-hwe: security vulnerability (CVE-2026-61478)

What is affected, what to do

It was discovered that libvirt did not properly validate newline characters in DNS TXT record values and SRV record attributes in its virtual network driver. A local attacker with permission to define virtual networks could possibly use this issue to inject arbitrary dnsmasq configuration directives, leading to arbitrary command execution as root.

The available sources name no fixed version. Check the vendor guidance in the references below.

Affected

• Ubuntu Libvirt-hwe 12.0.0-1ubuntu5.5..*

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Metrics

Detection rules

No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

Classification under NIS2 and CRA

Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

NIS2

NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

Read in glossary

High technical severity: assess and remediate the vulnerability in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2 and document the decision.

CRA

The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

Read in glossary

From 11.12.2027, Annex I Part II CRA requires manufacturers of affected products with digital elements to handle vulnerabilities without delay and provide security updates.

ISO/IEC 27001

ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

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Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

Description

It was discovered that libvirt did not properly validate newline characters in DNS TXT record values and SRV record attributes in its virtual network driver. A local attacker with permission to define virtual networks could possibly use this issue to inject arbitrary dnsmasq configuration directives, leading to arbitrary command execution as root. (CVE-2026-61477) It was discovered that libvirt did not properly handle errors during XML context parsing. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause libvirt to crash, resulting in a denial of service. (CVE-2026-61478) He Wei discovered that libvirt had a symlink-following vulnerability in the file ownership change function used for virtual TPM state directories. A local attacker running as the swtpm user could possibly use this issue to cause libvirt to change the ownership of an arbitrary file, leading to privilege escalation. (CVE-2026-63622) It was discovered that libvirt created storage volume images with overly permissive permissions during clone or convert operations. A local attacker could possibly use this issue to read guest disk contents, resulting in information disclosure. (CVE-2026-63623) It was discovered that libvirt had an integer overflow in the NodeGetFreePages RPC handler. A local attacker could possibly use this issue to cause libvirt to crash or execute arbitrary code. (CVE-2026-18917) It was discovered that libvirt had a symlink-following flaw in the virtual TPM emulator setup function. A local attacker with access to the swtpm account could possibly use this issue to cause libvirt to change the ownership of an arbitrary file, leading to privilege escalation. (CVE-2026-77159)

Source: Ubuntu Security Notices

Vendors and products

• Ubuntu Libvirt-hwe