CVE-2026-23268 — apparmor: fix unprivileged local user can do privileged policy management
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: apparmor: fix unprivileged local user can do privileged policy management An unprivileged local user can load, replace, and remove profiles by opening the apparmorfs interfaces, via a confused deputy attack, by passing the opened fd to a privileged process, and getting the privileged process to write to the interface. This does require a privileged target that can be manipulated to do the write for the unprivileged process, but once such access is achieved full policy management is possible and all the possible implications that implies: removing confinement, DoS of system or target applications by denying all execution, by-passing the unprivileged user namespace restriction, to exploiting kernel bugs for a local privilege escalation. The policy management interface can not have its permissions simply changed from 0666 to 0600 because non-root processes need to be able to load policy to different policy namespaces. Instead ensure the task writing the interface has privileges that are a subset of the task that opened the interface. This is already done via policy for confined processes, but unconfined can delegate access to the opened fd, by-passing the usual policy check.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.1% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
version 4.11≥ b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c and < 6601e13e82841879406bf9f369032656f441a425≥ b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c and < b6a94eeca9c6c8f7c55ad44c62c98324f51ec596≥ b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c and < b60b3f7a35c46b2e0ca934f9c988b8fca06d76c6≥ b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c and < 0fc63dd9170643d15c25681fca792539e23f4640≥ b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c and < 17debf5586020790b5717f96e5e6a3ca5bb961ab≥ b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c and < 33ee909702e047c94aaf41d4eea35626d509802c≥ b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c and < 4cafce4d6d0a66ec27e3af5637c11901d60189fa and 1 more≥ b7fd2c0340eacbee892425e9007647568b7f2a3c and < a407a078cd41b5261b99d822af784bd9f136eb4d |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
version 7.0-rc3≥ 4.11 and < 5.10.253version 7.0-rc2version 7.0-rc1≥ 6.19 and < 6.19.8≥ 6.13 and < 6.18.18≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.77≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.130 and 2 more≥ 5.16 and < 6.1.169≥ 5.11 and < 5.15.203 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 0.15%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 7.8
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
9 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b6a94eeca9c6c8f7c55ad44c62c98324f51ec596
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/17debf5586020790b5717f96e5e6a3ca5bb961ab
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b60b3f7a35c46b2e0ca934f9c988b8fca06d76c6
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4cafce4d6d0a66ec27e3af5637c11901d60189fa
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/33ee909702e047c94aaf41d4eea35626d509802c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a407a078cd41b5261b99d822af784bd9f136eb4d
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fc63dd9170643d15c25681fca792539e23f4640
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6601e13e82841879406bf9f369032656f441a425
- www.qualys.com/2026/03/10/crack-armor.txt
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 15h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 15h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-23268 is "apparmor: fix unprivileged local user can do privileged policy management", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.15% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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