Local Privilege Escalation in systemd-machined via varlink

Publication date: 2026-04-10

Last updated on: 2026-04-27

Assigner: MITRE

Description

In systemd 259 before 260, there is local privilege escalation in systemd-machined because varlink can be used to reach the root namespace.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-04-10

Last Modified

2026-04-27

Generated

2026-07-06

AI Q&A

2026-04-10

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-05

NVD

CVE-2026-40224

EUVD

EUVD-2026-21396

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
systemd_project	systemd	From 259 (inc) to 259.3 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-863	The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in systemd versions 259 before 260. It is a local privilege escalation issue in the systemd-machined component. The vulnerability arises because varlink can be used to access the root namespace, allowing a user with limited privileges to escalate their privileges.

Impact Analysis

The impact of this vulnerability is that an attacker with local access and limited privileges can escalate their privileges to root. This means they could gain full control over the affected system, potentially leading to unauthorized access, modification, or destruction of data and system resources.

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