# CVE-2026-41684: GO-2026-5742 - Incus has Nil Dereferences on Restore via Malformed YAML in github.com/lxc/incus

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-41684-incus-has-nil-dereferences-on-restore-via-malformed-yaml  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-07  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-41684 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.5 · Published 2026-05-07

Incus is a system container and virtual machine manager. Prior to version 7.0.0, backup.GetInfo() trusts the inline backup/index.yaml config when present and only falls back to parsing the legacy backup/container/backup.yaml file if result.Config == nil. As a result, an archive can carry a valid inline config that passes the initial import preflight while also carrying a malformed legacy backup/container/backup.yaml file that is reparsed later from the restored file system. ParseConfigYamlFile() accepts YAML documents with no container section, and multiple downstream consumers then dereference. Container without checking for nil. Confirmed examples in the instance restore and import flow include backup.UpdateInstanceConfig() and internalImportFromBackup(). An authenticated user with permission to import instance backups may be able to crash the Incus daemon with a crafted backup archive whose inline backup/index.yaml is valid but whose extracted legacy backup.yaml omits container. The crash occurs in the restore path after archive extraction has begun. This issue has been patched in version 7.0.0.

Technologies: [github.com/lxc/incus (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-lxc-incus), [github.com/lxc/incus/v6 (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-lxc-incus-v6), [github.com/lxc/incus/v6/cmd/incusd (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-lxc-incus-v6-cmd-incusd), [Linuxcontainers Incus](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/linuxcontainers-incus). Vendors: [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go), [Linuxcontainers](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/linuxcontainers).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-41684 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-41684 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-41684?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.5, published 7 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** github.com/lxc/incus (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0; github.com/lxc/incus/v6 (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0; github.com/lxc/incus/v6/cmd/incusd (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,last_affected=6.23.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-41684?** 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.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-41684?** Check whether you run github.com/lxc/incus (Go), github.com/lxc/incus/v6 (Go), github.com/lxc/incus/v6/cmd/incusd (Go) or one of the others listed 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.

## Affected products

- github.com/lxc/incus (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0
- github.com/lxc/incus/v6 (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0
- github.com/lxc/incus/v6/cmd/incusd (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,last_affected=6.23.0
- Linuxcontainers Incus

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-41684
- GHSA-x5r6-jr56-89pv
- GO-2026-5742

## Related threats

- [Incus project restriction bypass in instance copy](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-55622-incus-project-restriction-bypass-in-instance-copy)
- [Incus authorization bypass in custom volume copy](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-55621-incus-authorization-bypass-in-custom-volume-copy)
- [LXC Incus arbitrary file write via image hash path traversal](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48769-lxc-incus-arbitrary-file-write-via-image-hash-path-traversal)
- [LXC Incus nil-pointer dereference in CreateCustomVolumeFromBackup](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48756-lxc-incus-nil-pointer-dereference-in-createcustomvolumefrombackup)
- [LXC Incus argument injection in backup compression algorithm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-48755-lxc-incus-argument-injection-in-backup-compression-algorithm)