CVE-2026-72842

Received Received - Intake

ACL Bypass and Path Traversal in LuCI-app-lxc Leading to RCE

Publication date: 2026-08-13

Last updated on: 2026-08-13

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description

luci-app-lxc contains an ACL inconsistency vulnerability that allows low-privileged authenticated LuCI users to access backend container management routes without proper authorization checks. Attackers can exploit path traversal via `/.%2E` in the `lxc_name` parameter to escape container directories and control host-side scripts executed through `lxc.hook.start-host`, achieving root code execution on the OpenWrt host.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-13

Last Modified

2026-08-13

Generated

2026-08-14

AI Q&A

2026-08-14

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-72842

EUVD

EUVD-2026-58499

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
openwrt	luci-app-lxc	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-73	The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

luci-app-lxc has an ACL inconsistency that lets low-privileged authenticated users access container management routes without proper authorization. Attackers can use path traversal via /.%2E in the lxc_name parameter to escape container directories and control host-side scripts through lxc.hook.start-host, leading to root code execution on the OpenWrt host.

Detection Guidance

Check LuCI web interface logs for unusual access to container management routes or path traversal attempts in the lxc_name parameter. Inspect OpenWrt host scripts for unauthorized modifications or executions linked to lxc.hook.start-host.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers with low privileges to gain root access on the OpenWrt host system. This could lead to full system compromise, unauthorized data access, or control over the device and network.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating GDPR and HIPAA requirements for data protection and access controls. Non-compliance may result in legal penalties and reputational damage.

Mitigation Strategies

Update luci-app-lxc to the latest patched version immediately. Restrict LuCI user privileges to the minimum required. Monitor and audit container management routes for unauthorized access attempts.

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