CVE-2026-61477
Received Received - Intake

libvirt Virtual Network Driver DNS Configuration Injection

Publication date: 2026-08-07

Last updated on: 2026-08-07

Assigner: Red Hat, Inc.

Description
An injection vulnerability was found in libvirt's virtual network driver. The network XML parser does not strip newline characters from DNS TXT record value attributes and SRV record domain/target attributes. These values are written verbatim into the dnsmasq configuration file generated by the network driver, allowing a user with permission to define virtual networks to inject arbitrary dnsmasq configuration directives such as dhcp-script, leading to arbitrary command execution as root.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-07
Last Modified
2026-08-07
Generated
2026-08-07
AI Q&A
2026-08-07
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-61477
EUVD
EUVD-2026-54487

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
libvirt libvirt *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-93 The product uses CRLF (carriage return line feeds) as a special element, e.g. to separate lines or records, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes CRLF sequences from inputs.

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-61477 is an injection vulnerability in libvirt's virtual network driver. The network XML parser does not remove newline characters from DNS TXT record values and SRV record domain/target attributes. These values are written directly into the dnsmasq configuration file, allowing attackers with network definition permissions to inject malicious dnsmasq directives like dhcp-script, which can execute arbitrary commands as root.

Detection Guidance

Check libvirt network configurations for DNS TXT or SRV records containing newline characters. Inspect dnsmasq configuration files generated by libvirt for unexpected directives like dhcp-script. Use libvirt's virsh command to list networks and examine their XML definitions for suspicious entries.

Impact Analysis

In default setups, this vulnerability mainly serves as a hardening issue since read-write access to the libvirt socket is root-equivalent. However, in non-default configurations with fine-grained access control, it could allow privilege boundary violations. Attackers with network write permissions could execute arbitrary root commands via crafted DNS TXT/SRV records.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability primarily affects systems where non-default access controls are in place, allowing privilege boundary violations. It does not directly impact GDPR or HIPAA compliance unless malicious actors exploit it to gain unauthorized root access, which could lead to data breaches or unauthorized system modifications. Default configurations are not at risk.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest libvirt patches that reject newline characters in DNS TXT/SRV fields. Restrict access to the libvirt socket to prevent unauthorized network modifications. Monitor dnsmasq configuration files for unexpected changes.

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