CVE-2026-63296 in LXD
Summary
by MITRE • 08/12/2026
An authorization bypass vulnerability in LXD allows an authenticated attacker to bypass target project restrictions during instance migration. When migrating an instance to a target project, LXD accepts configuration overrides without validating the new configuration against the target project's enforced restrictions. An attacker can exploit this flaw to move instances with disallowed high-privilege configurations into restricted projects, bypassing security controls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2026
This authorization bypass vulnerability in LXD represents a critical flaw in the container orchestration and management system that undermines fundamental security boundaries. The vulnerability exists within the instance migration functionality where LXD fails to properly validate configuration overrides during project transitions, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to circumvent project-level restrictions. The flaw specifically manifests when migrating instances to target projects that have enforced security policies, allowing malicious actors to manipulate instance configurations without proper authorization checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the migration process. When an authenticated user attempts to migrate an instance to a different project, LXD accepts configuration parameters from the source environment without cross-referencing them against the target project's security policies. This design flaw creates a scenario where privilege escalation can occur through configuration manipulation, as the system trusts the incoming configuration data without proper authorization validation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the boundary between different security contexts, exploiting the trust relationship between projects that should maintain strict isolation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential lateral movement and persistent access within containerized environments. An attacker who has authenticated access to LXD can leverage this flaw to move instances containing high-privilege configurations into restricted projects where such configurations would normally be prohibited. This bypass effectively nullifies project-based security controls that are designed to isolate sensitive workloads and prevent unauthorized access patterns. The vulnerability enables attackers to establish footholds in restricted environments while maintaining the appearance of legitimate administrative activity, making detection significantly more challenging.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-693, which addresses protection mechanism failures, specifically targeting authorization bypass mechanisms within container management systems. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps directly to ATT&CK technique T1548.003 for Abuse of Cloud Infrastructure and T1078.004 for Valid Accounts. The attack vector requires authenticated access but does not necessitate elevated privileges, making it particularly concerning for environments where credential exposure is possible. Organizations utilizing LXD for container orchestration face significant risk from this vulnerability as it enables attackers to undermine the isolation properties that are fundamental to container security models.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive configuration validation during migration operations and strengthening project boundary enforcement mechanisms. System administrators should ensure that all instance migration operations perform strict validation of configuration parameters against target project policies before permitting any transitions. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring for unusual migration patterns and configuration changes that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of container orchestration platforms should include testing for similar authorization bypass scenarios, and access controls should be reviewed to minimize the impact of potential credential compromise. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining strict validation boundaries between different security contexts within containerized infrastructure deployments.