# CVE-2026-13201: KubeVirt safepath symlink following in OpenAtNoFollow

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-13201-kubevirt-safepath-symlink-following-in-openatnofollow  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-24. Updated: 2026-06-24  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-13201 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.2 · Published 2026-06-24

A security flaw was found in KubeVirt, a tool used to run virtual machines within Kubernetes clusters. An attacker with access to a virtual machine pod could trick the system into changing the ownership or permissions of sensitive files on the underlying host server. This could allow an attacker to gain unauthorized access to host files or disrupt system operations by modifying critical file metadata.

Technologies: [KubeVirt](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/kubevirt). Vendors: [KubeVirt](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/kubevirt).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-13201 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-13201 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-13201?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.2, published 24 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** KubeVirt unspecified.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-13201?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-13201 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-13201?** Check whether you run KubeVirt at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A flaw exists in KubeVirt's safepath package, specifically within the OpenAtNoFollow function. While the function uses O_PATH|O_NOFOLLOW to obtain a file descriptor, downstream helpers like ChmodAtNoFollow and ChownAtNoFollow operate via /proc/self/fd/N using syscalls that follow links. If the path leaf is a symlink, the kernel dereferences it at use-time, bypassing intended protections. An attacker with access to a virt-launcher pod can create a symlink targeting host paths; when virt-handler (running as root) performs operations on these paths, it inadvertently modifies the metadata of the targeted host files.

## Affected products

- KubeVirt KubeVirt unspecified
- Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization 4 4

## Timeline

- 2026-06-24: disclosed: Initial report and NVD publication

## References

- [https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-13201](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-13201)
- [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492203](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492203)

## Related threats

- [KubeVirt improper input validation in network annotation generator](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-13434-kubevirt-improper-input-validation-in-network-annotation)
- [KubeVirt authentication bypass in migration proxy when TLS is disabled](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-13325-kubevirt-authentication-bypass-in-migration-proxy-when-tls-is)
- [KubeVirt unbounded memory allocation in virt-handler virtio-serial server](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-13322-kubevirt-unbounded-memory-allocation-in-virt-handler-virtio)
- [KubeVirt SSRF in virt-api port-forward handler](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-13318-kubevirt-ssrf-in-virt-api-port-forward-handler)
- [KubeVirt virt-handler symlink following in WriteToCachedFile](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-13218-kubevirt-virt-handler-symlink-following-in-writetocachedfile)