{"id":"CVE-2026-23268","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"apparmor: fix unprivileged local user can do privileged policy management","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\napparmor: fix unprivileged local user can do privileged policy management\n\nAn unprivileged local user can load, replace, and remove profiles by\nopening the apparmorfs interfaces, via a confused deputy attack, by\npassing the opened fd to a privileged process, and getting the\nprivileged process to write to the interface.\n\nThis does require a privileged target that can be manipulated to do\nthe write for the unprivileged process, but once such access is\nachieved full policy management is possible and all the possible\nimplications that implies: removing confinement, DoS of system or\ntarget applications by denying all execution, by-passing the\nunprivileged user namespace restriction, to exploiting kernel bugs for\na local privilege escalation.\n\nThe policy management interface can not have its permissions simply\nchanged from 0666 to 0600 because non-root processes need to be able\nto load policy to different policy namespaces.\n\nInstead ensure the task writing the interface has privileges that\nare a subset of the task that opened the interface. This is already\ndone via policy for confined processes, but unconfined can delegate\naccess to the opened fd, by-passing the usual policy check.","publishedAt":"2026-03-18T17:54:41.974Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-05T12:20:58.461Z","severity":{"score":7.8,"label":"High","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","source":"Linux"},"assigner":"Linux","products":["Linux Linux"],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"a407a078cd41b5261b99d822af784bd9f136eb4d","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"4cafce4d6d0a66ec27e3af5637c11901d60189fa","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"33ee909702e047c94aaf41d4eea35626d509802c","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"17debf5586020790b5717f96e5e6a3ca5bb961ab","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"0fc63dd9170643d15c25681fca792539e23f4640","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"b60b3f7a35c46b2e0ca934f9c988b8fca06d76c6","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"b6a94eeca9c6c8f7c55ad44c62c98324f51ec596","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"6601e13e82841879406bf9f369032656f441a425","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["security/apparmor/apparmorfs.c","security/apparmor/include/policy.h","security/apparmor/policy.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"4.11","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"4.11","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.253","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.203","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.169","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.6.130","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.6.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.12.77","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.12.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.18.18","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.18.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.19.8","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.19.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.0","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["security/apparmor/apparmorfs.c","security/apparmor/include/policy.h","security/apparmor/policy.c"]}],"references":["https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a407a078cd41b5261b99d822af784bd9f136eb4d","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4cafce4d6d0a66ec27e3af5637c11901d60189fa","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/33ee909702e047c94aaf41d4eea35626d509802c","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17debf5586020790b5717f96e5e6a3ca5bb961ab","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fc63dd9170643d15c25681fca792539e23f4640","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b60b3f7a35c46b2e0ca934f9c988b8fca06d76c6","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b6a94eeca9c6c8f7c55ad44c62c98324f51ec596","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6601e13e82841879406bf9f369032656f441a425","https://www.qualys.com/2026/03/10/crack-armor.txt"],"weaknesses":[],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:11:21.040Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/23xxx/CVE-2026-23268.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-23268","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-03-18T17:54:41.974Z","dateUpdated":"2026-08-05T12:20:58.461Z","assignerShortName":"Linux","assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateReserved":"2026-01-13T15:37:45.991Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"apparmor: fix unprivileged local user can do privileged policy management","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\napparmor: fix unprivileged local user can do privileged policy management\n\nAn unprivileged local user can load, replace, and remove profiles by\nopening the apparmorfs interfaces, via a confused deputy attack, by\npassing the opened fd to a privileged process, and getting the\nprivileged process to write to the interface.\n\nThis does require a privileged target that can be manipulated to do\nthe write for the unprivileged process, but once such access is\nachieved full policy management is possible and all the possible\nimplications that implies: removing confinement, DoS of system or\ntarget applications by denying all execution, by-passing the\nunprivileged user namespace restriction, to exploiting kernel bugs for\na local privilege escalation.\n\nThe policy management interface can not have its permissions simply\nchanged from 0666 to 0600 because non-root processes need to be able\nto load policy to different policy namespaces.\n\nInstead ensure the task writing the interface has privileges that\nare a subset of the task that opened the interface. This is already\ndone via policy for confined processes, but unconfined can delegate\naccess to the opened fd, by-passing the usual policy check."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"a407a078cd41b5261b99d822af784bd9f136eb4d","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"4cafce4d6d0a66ec27e3af5637c11901d60189fa","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"33ee909702e047c94aaf41d4eea35626d509802c","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"17debf5586020790b5717f96e5e6a3ca5bb961ab","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"0fc63dd9170643d15c25681fca792539e23f4640","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"b60b3f7a35c46b2e0ca934f9c988b8fca06d76c6","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"b6a94eeca9c6c8f7c55ad44c62c98324f51ec596","versionType":"git"},{"version":"b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c","status":"affected","lessThan":"6601e13e82841879406bf9f369032656f441a425","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["security/apparmor/apparmorfs.c","security/apparmor/include/policy.h","security/apparmor/policy.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"4.11","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"4.11","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.10.253","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.10.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"5.15.203","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"5.15.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.1.169","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.1.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.6.130","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.6.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.12.77","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.12.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.18.18","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.18.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.19.8","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.19.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.0","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["security/apparmor/apparmorfs.c","security/apparmor/include/policy.h","security/apparmor/policy.c"]}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a407a078cd41b5261b99d822af784bd9f136eb4d"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4cafce4d6d0a66ec27e3af5637c11901d60189fa"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/33ee909702e047c94aaf41d4eea35626d509802c"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17debf5586020790b5717f96e5e6a3ca5bb961ab"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fc63dd9170643d15c25681fca792539e23f4640"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b60b3f7a35c46b2e0ca934f9c988b8fca06d76c6"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b6a94eeca9c6c8f7c55ad44c62c98324f51ec596"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6601e13e82841879406bf9f369032656f441a425"},{"url":"https://www.qualys.com/2026/03/10/crack-armor.txt"}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","baseScore":7.8,"baseSeverity":"HIGH"},"scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"AV:L - The attacker must be a local user to open the apparmorfs interface files and pass the file descriptor to a privileged process via local IPC mechanisms.\nAC:L - On typical Linux systems (desktop, server, Android), privileged daemons that accept and act on fds from unprivileged users are common (D-Bus services, systemd units). The attacker can reliably identify and leverage such confused deputies.\nPR:L - Requires a basic unprivileged local user account. The apparmorfs interface files are created with 0666 permissions, so any local user can open them.\nUI:N - No user interaction is needed. The confused deputy is a system service/daemon that can be programmatically triggered, not a human user who must take action.\nS:U - The vulnerability and its impact remain within the kernel security authority. While AppArmor policy manipulation is severe, it is standard kernel privilege escalation within the same security domain.\nC:H - By removing AppArmor confinement profiles, the attacker can access information previously protected by mandatory access control policies, enabling arbitrary information disclosure.\nI:H - The attacker gains full policy management capabilities: loading arbitrary policies, replacing existing ones, and removing confinement. This allows arbitrary modification of the system's mandatory access control, fundamentally compromising integrity.\nA:H - As stated in the commit, the attacker can cause DoS of the system or target applications by loading policies that deny all execution, effectively making the system non-functional."}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"Linux","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateUpdated":"2026-08-05T12:20:58.461Z"},"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"4.11","versionEndExcluding":"5.10.253"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"4.11","versionEndExcluding":"5.15.203"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"4.11","versionEndExcluding":"6.1.169"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"4.11","versionEndExcluding":"6.6.130"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"4.11","versionEndExcluding":"6.12.77"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"4.11","versionEndExcluding":"6.18.18"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"4.11","versionEndExcluding":"6.19.8"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"4.11","versionEndExcluding":"7.0"}]}]}],"x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}}}}}