libvirt: arbitrary command execution via virConnectGetDomainCapabilities API
Published Aug 2, 2019
7.8
HIGHCVSS 3.1
EPSS 0.52%
Description
The virConnectGetDomainCapabilities() libvirt API, versions 4.x.x before 4.10.1 and 5.x.x before 5.4.1, accepts an "emulatorbin" argument to specify the program providing emulation for a domain. Since v1.2.19, libvirt will execute that program to probe the domain's capabilities. Read-only clients could specify an arbitrary path for this argument, causing libvirtd to execute a crafted executable with its own privileges.
Affected products
-
- Version 4.x.x before 4.10.1StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 5.x.x before 5.4.1StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version
Configuration 1
Configuration 2
- 7.0
- 8.0
- 6.0
- 7.0
- 6.0
- 7.0
- 7.6
- 7.6
- 7.6
- 6.0
- 7.0
- 4.3
No data.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
libvirt-0:4.5.0-10.el7_6.12
Fixed · RHSA-2019:1579
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
virt:rhel-8000020190618154454.f8e95b4e
Fixed · RHSA-2019:1580
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Advanced Virtualization
virt:8.0.0-8000020190620145550.f8e95b4e
Fixed · RHSA-2019:1762
Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
redhat-release-virtualization-host-0:4.3.4-1.el7ev
Fixed · RHSA-2019:1699
Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
redhat-virtualization-host-0:4.3.4-20190620.3.el7_6
Fixed · RHSA-2019:1699
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
libvirt
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
libvirt
Not affected
Red Hat Storage 3
libvirt
Not affected
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | libvirt-0:4.5.0-10.el7_6.12 | Fixed | RHSA-2019:1579 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | virt:rhel-8000020190618154454.f8e95b4e | Fixed | RHSA-2019:1580 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Advanced Virtualization | virt:8.0.0-8000020190620145550.f8e95b4e | Fixed | RHSA-2019:1762 |
| Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | redhat-release-virtualization-host-0:4.3.4-1.el7ev | Fixed | RHSA-2019:1699 |
| Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | redhat-virtualization-host-0:4.3.4-20190620.3.el7_6 | Fixed | RHSA-2019:1699 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | libvirt | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | libvirt | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Storage 3 | libvirt | Not affected | n/a |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
* This vulnerability requires access to the libvirt socket, normally in /var/run/libvirt/libvirt_sock_ro. Typically in hypervisor environments, local user accounts are not supported so no untrusted users should be able to access this socket. * Red Hat Gluster Storage 3 is not affected by this vulnerability as libvirtd daemon is not shipped in Gluster.
Red Hat mitigation
The Unix permissions of libvirt's read-only socket can be made more restrictive than the default (0777) by editing `/etc/libvirt/libvirtd.conf`. The settings `unix_sock_group = libvirt` and `unix_sock_ro_perms = 0770` will restrict access to only members of `libvirt`, who already have management access to virtual machines.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
2021–2026- EPSS v1
- EPSS v5
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
Percentile over time
- EPSS v1
- EPSS v5
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
Table of values (10 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 0.52% (0.00521) | 42.15th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Sep 20, 2026 | 0.52% (0.00521) | 43.25th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jul 20, 2024 | 0.04% (0.00043) | 5.22th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.04% (0.00043) | 5.88th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 0.89% (0.00890) | 30.33th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 1.41% (0.01412) | 50.22th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 3.63% (0.03630) | 71.73th | v1 |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 3.63% (0.03630) | 71.48th | v1 |
| Jan 5, 2022 | 0.83% (0.00833) | 58.90th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Apr 14, 2021 | 0.83% (0.00833) | 0.00th | v1 |
References (7)
- https://access.redhat.com/libvirt-privesc-vulnerabilities x_refsource_CONFIRMVendor Advisory
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2019-10167 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1720117 Issue Tracking
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-10167 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingVendor Advisory
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-10167
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202003-18 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_GENTOOThird Party Advisory
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-10167
| Link | Providers | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| https://access.redhat.com/libvirt-privesc-vulnerabilities | x_refsource_CONFIRMVendor Advisory | |
| https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2019-10167 | Vendor Advisory | |
| https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1720117 | Issue Tracking | |
| https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-10167 | x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingVendor Advisory | |
| https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-10167 | ||
| https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202003-18 | vendor-advisoryx_refsource_GENTOOThird Party Advisory | |
| https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-10167 |
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.