CVE-2026-41196
Received Received - Intake
LuaJIT Sandbox Escape in Luanti Allows Arbitrary Code Execution

Publication date: 2026-04-23

Last updated on: 2026-04-23

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
Luanti (formerly Minetest) is an open source voxel game-creation platform. Starting in version 5.0.0 and prior to version 5.15.2, a malicious mod can trivially escape the sandboxed Lua environment to execute arbitrary code and gain full filesystem access on the user's device. This applies to the server-side mod, async and mapgen as well as the client-side (CSM) environments. This vulnerability is only exploitable when using LuaJIT. Version 5.15.2 contains a patch. On release versions, one can also patch this issue without recompiling by editing `builtin/init.lua` and adding the line `getfenv = nil` at the end. Note that this will break mods relying on this function (which is not inherently unsafe).
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Meta Information
Published
2026-04-23
Last Modified
2026-04-23
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-04-23
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-14
NVD
CVE-2026-41196
EUVD
EUVD-2026-25154
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 3 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
luanti minetest to 5.15.2 (exc)
luanti minetest 5.15.2
luanti minetest From 5.0.0 (inc) to 5.15.2 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-94 The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.
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Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, you should upgrade Luanti (Minetest) to version 5.15.2 or later, which contains a patch for this issue.

If upgrading is not immediately possible, you can patch the issue without recompiling by editing the file `builtin/init.lua` and adding the line `getfenv = nil` at the end.

Be aware that this workaround may break mods that rely on the getfenv function.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can have severe impacts because it allows a malicious mod to break out of the intended sandbox and execute arbitrary code on the user's device.

  • Full filesystem access can lead to unauthorized reading, modification, or deletion of files.
  • Potential installation of malware or other malicious software.
  • Compromise of user data and system integrity.
  • Loss of control over the affected device.
Executive Summary

This vulnerability affects Luanti (formerly Minetest), an open source voxel game-creation platform. In versions starting from 5.0.0 up to but not including 5.15.2, a malicious mod can easily escape the sandboxed Lua environment. This escape allows the mod to execute arbitrary code and gain full access to the user's filesystem.

The vulnerability applies to server-side mods, async and mapgen environments, as well as client-side (CSM) environments, but only when LuaJIT is used. A patch was introduced in version 5.15.2, and it can also be mitigated on release versions by editing the file `builtin/init.lua` to disable the `getfenv` function, although this may break some mods.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows a malicious mod to escape the sandboxed Lua environment and execute arbitrary code with full filesystem access on the user's device. Such unauthorized access and potential data compromise could lead to violations of data protection regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require strict controls over personal and sensitive data.

If exploited, the vulnerability could result in unauthorized disclosure, alteration, or destruction of protected data, thereby impacting compliance with these standards.

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