CVE-2026-105477 in Agent for Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 10/27/2026
A vulnerability in Veeam Agent for Linux allows for local privilege escalation. Only installations that are managed by a Veeam Backup & Replication instance are affected.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2026
The identified security flaw resides within the Veeam Agent for Linux software, specifically affecting deployments that operate under the management of a central Veeam Backup and Replication infrastructure. This vulnerability presents a critical risk vector for local privilege escalation, allowing an authenticated but low-privileged user on the affected system to gain elevated access rights beyond their intended permissions. The scope of this issue is strictly limited to environments where the agent is actively managed by the backup server, distinguishing it from standalone installations that may not be susceptible to this specific attack path. This distinction highlights the importance of understanding deployment architectures when assessing risk profiles for enterprise backup solutions.
From a technical perspective, local privilege escalation vulnerabilities typically arise due to improper handling of access controls, insecure configuration defaults, or flaws in how the application interacts with operating system security mechanisms such as sudoers configurations, file permissions, or environment variables. In the context of Veeam Agent for Linux, an attacker who has already obtained low-level shell access on a target host could exploit this flaw to execute commands with higher privileges, potentially achieving root level access. This transition from user to administrator rights enables the compromise of system integrity, as the attacker can then modify critical system files, install persistent backdoors, or exfiltrate sensitive data protected by standard file permissions. The presence of such a vulnerability undermines the principle of least privilege, which is fundamental to secure system design and operational security in Linux environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate unauthorized access. Once an attacker achieves elevated privileges through local escalation, they can bypass network-based security controls that rely on host-level integrity. This includes disabling logging mechanisms, tampering with backup jobs to inject malicious data or delete legitimate backups, and potentially pivoting to other systems within the internal network if lateral movement tools are available. For organizations relying on Veeam for disaster recovery and business continuity, compromising the agent could lead to a complete failure of recovery capabilities during an incident, as the attacker might corrupt or encrypt backup repositories accessible from that host. Furthermore, since the vulnerability affects managed installations, it implies that any workstation or server under centralized management is potentially at risk if not properly patched, increasing the attack surface for threat actors targeting enterprise infrastructure.
To mitigate this risk, administrators must ensure that all Veeam Agent for Linux instances are updated to versions where this flaw has been remediated by the vendor. Regular patching cycles should be enforced across all managed endpoints to minimize exposure windows. Additionally, organizations should implement strict access controls on systems running backup agents, ensuring that only authorized personnel have local administrative or user-level shell access. Monitoring tools should be configured to detect unusual privilege changes or unauthorized execution of system binaries associated with the Veeam agent processes. Integrating these hosts into a comprehensive security information and event management solution can help identify potential exploitation attempts in real time. Adhering to industry standards such as CWE-269 for Improper Privilege Management and considering MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Local Account Manipulation or Defense Evasion is essential for maintaining a robust defense posture against this type of internal threat.