CVE-2026-5674
Description
A flaw was found in PipeWire, a multimedia server. This vulnerability allows an attacker to escape sandboxed applications, such as Flatpak, by exploiting PipeWire's PulseAudio compatibility layer. An attacker with minimal permissions within a sandboxed environment can load a malicious library, leading to arbitrary code execution outside the sandbox and potential compromise of the user's system.
Statement
Important: This flaw in PipeWire allows for a sandbox escape, enabling arbitrary code execution outside of sandboxed environments, such as Flatpak applications, when minimal permissions are granted. Red Hat products utilizing PipeWire's PulseAudio compatibility layer are susceptible, as an attacker can load a malicious library from within a sandboxed process, bypassing isolation mechanisms.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, restrict containerized applications from accessing the PulseAudio socket or writing to host-visible paths. Additionally, configure PipeWire to prevent module loading by setting `pulse.allow-module-loading = false` in the PipeWire PulseAudio configuration. Alternatively, restrict the `dlopen()` paths for `module-ladspa-sink` to trusted system directories like `/usr/lib/ladspa/` and `/usr/lib64/ladspa/`. Applying these changes may require restarting the PipeWire service to take effect, which could impact audio functionality.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 8.8 | N/A | 8.8 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Changed | N/A | Changed |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality,Integrity,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Johann Rehberger (embracethered.com) for reporting this issue.
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