CVE-2026-9640: A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in LXD from 6.0 before 6.9, 5.21.0 before 5.21.5, and 5.0.0 before

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HIGH 7.2UPGRADE

CVE-2026-9640 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.2) affecting lxd. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in LXD from 6.0 before 6.9, 5.21.0 before 5.21.5, and 5.0.0 before 5.0.7 regarding the handling of project-restriction policies during snapshot restoration.. An authenticated project operator in a restricted multi-tenant environment can bypass policy restrictions by importing a maliciously crafted instance backup containing restricted configuration keys within a snapshot. When the snapshot is restored,

Why this priority

High severity
Public exploit reference

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.2 (High)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	High
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.6% (top 50%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-863
Published	2026-06-26
Last modified	2026-10-25

Publisher (CNA): Canonical Ltd. · Vendor: canonical

Last updated 2026-10-25 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-06-26 16:16 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-10-25 17:10 UTCUpdated Record last modified

canonical lxd UPGRADE

Affected: >= 4.12 and < 5.0.7 · >= 5.21.0 and < 5.21.5 · >= 6.0 and < 6.9

Fixed in: 5.0.7, 5.21.5, 6.9

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.12

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy lxd || rpm -q lxd || lxd --version

2. UPGRADE to 5.0.7 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade lxd

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade lxd

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.12 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison lxd sudo apt install lxd=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.12> sudo apt-mark hold lxd

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list lxd sudo dnf downgrade lxd-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.12> sudo dnf versionlock add lxd

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2026-9640?

lxd: upgrade to 5.0.7, 5.21.5, 6.9. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2026-9640 being exploited?

CVE-2026-9640 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2026-9640 affect?

CVE-2026-9640 affects lxd. Severity is high (CVSS 7.2). A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in LXD from 6.0 before 6.9, 5.21.0 before 5.21.5, and 5.0.0 before 5.0.7 regarding the handling of project-restriction policies during snapshot restoration.. An authenticated project operator in a

How urgent is CVE-2026-9640?

Priority 43/100. High severity; Public exploit reference

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References

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