CVE-2026-9804: Kubevirt.io/kubevirt KubeVirt Has A Link Following Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mpmf-3w4r-qfpf
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CVSS 7.7
CWE-59
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-9804 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.7) kubevirt has a link following vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting Kubevirt.io/kubevirt libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves kubevirt has a link following issue. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-9804 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-9804
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mpmf-3w4r-qfpf
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.7
CWE Classification CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Affected Product Kubevirt.io/kubevirt
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.7

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-9804

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Kubevirt.io/kubevirt dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

kubevirt.io/kubevirt fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade kubevirt.io/kubevirt to Latest secure release
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for kubevirt.io/kubevirt

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-9804, inspect your project dependencies for Kubevirt.io/kubevirt:

inspect dependencies for kubevirt.io/kubevirt

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Kubevirt.io/kubevirt in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following'), where the product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource. In Kubevirt.io/kubevirt, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A flaw was found in KubeVirt's virt-exportserver component. An attacker with specific namespace-level access can exploit a path traversal vulnerability in the VMExport directory endpoint. By placing a symbolic link (symlink) within an exported filesystem Persistent Volume Claim (PVC) that points outside its designated mount root, the attacker can read arbitrary files from the exporter pod's filesystem. This leads to information disclosure, potentially exposing sensitive data.

CVE-2026-9804 Affected Kubevirt.io/kubevirt Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
kubevirt.io/kubevirt
golang/kubevirt.io/kubevirt
Go
≤ 1.9.0-beta.0

References

NVD — CVE-2026-9804 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-9804
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/commit/6ea563fa94d8ca803f8dd9394cefd8cae36bb0ee
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2026:27... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:27903
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2026:27... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:27913
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2026:27... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:27914
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2026:27... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:27983
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2026:28... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:28002
Kubevirt.io/kubevirt Security Information SECURITY
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-9804
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2482487
Kubevirt.io/kubevirt Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt
Kubevirt.io/kubevirt Security Information SECURITY
https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-9804.json

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-9804?
CVE-2026-9804 is a security vulnerability in Kubevirt.io/kubevirt involving KubeVirt has a Link Following issue under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').
Which Kubevirt.io/kubevirt versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: kubevirt.io/kubevirt.
What version fixes CVE-2026-9804?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is kubevirt.io/kubevirt affected?
Yes, kubevirt.io/kubevirt is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-9804?
CVE-2026-9804 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.7 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-9804?
CVE-2026-9804 is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-9804?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for kubevirt.io/kubevirt'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-mpmf-3w4r-qfpf",
  "modified" : "2026-07-01T22:01:19Z",
  "published" : "2026-05-28T09:31:20Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-9804" ],
  "summary" : "KubeVirt has a Link Following issue",
  "details" : "A flaw was found in KubeVirt's virt-exportserver component. An attacker with specific namespace-level access can exploit a path traversal vulnerability in the VMExport directory endpoint. By placing a symbolic link (symlink) within an exported filesystem Persistent Volume Claim (PVC) that points outside its designated mount root, the attacker can read arbitrary files from the exporter pod's filesystem. This leads to information disclosure, potentially exposing sensitive data.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "kubevirt.io/kubevirt"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.9.0-beta.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-9804"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/commit/6ea563fa94d8ca803f8dd9394cefd8cae36bb0ee"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:27903"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:27913"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:27914"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:27983"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:28002"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-9804"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2482487"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-9804.json"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-07-01T22:01:19Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-28T09:16:49Z"
  }
}