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🛡️ CVE-2023-5536 on Ubuntu — cloud-init

⚪ Unknown ✅ No Known Exploit OSV
N/A
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

A feature in LXD (LP#1829071), affects the default configuration of Ubuntu Server which allows privileged users in the lxd group to escalate their privilege to root without requiring a sudo password.

Distribution advisory

This page covers CVE-2023-5536 as tracked by Ubuntu, for the package cloud-init. No fixed version has been recorded for this distribution yet.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is high, an attacker needs administrative privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Local — a local account, shell or session on the host is needed.
  • Attack complexity: High — the attacker first has to win a race, learn a secret or otherwise prepare the target.
  • Privileges required: High — administrative rights are needed first.
  • User interaction: None — nobody has to be tricked into anything.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Integrity impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Availability impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.

Weakness class

UBUNTU-CVE-2023-5536 is classified as CWE-276: Incorrect Default Permissions. Files or resources are created with permissions that are broader than they need to be.

Affected software

UBUNTU-CVE-2023-5536 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • cloud-init
  • subiquity

Timeline and source

Published on 11 December 2023 and last revised on 1 June 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. Record sourced from OSV.

References

ubuntu.com (Report)
discourse.ubuntu.com (Report)
bugs.launchpad.net (Report)
www.cve.org (Report)

Other advisories for this package

cloud-init has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

Same weakness in other software

These advisories are the same class of weakness (CWE-276: Incorrect Default Permissions) in other software:

CVE-2023-5536 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity Unknown
CVSS Score N/A
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source OSV
Published 2023-12-11
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-06-01
Fix URL N/A

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
cloud-init — —
subiquity — —

Similar Threats

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