firecracker: Detection of Error Condition Without Action
CVE-2026-122192 is a high-severity detection of error condition without action vulnerability in firecracker from AWS, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. The record lists version 1.16.2 as the first without the flaw, so updating firecracker to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.16% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update firecracker to 1.16.2 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on aws.amazon.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | firecracker | 0.23.0 up to, but not including, 1.16.2 | 1.16.2 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 7.1 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.5 | High | CNA |
Official description
Improper handling of a failed memory remap in Firecracker versions 0.23.0 through 1.16.1 might allow a guest user with root privileges to read or modify Firecracker VMM process memory via balloon or virtio-mem discard requests on microVMs restored from a snapshot with the File memory backend, if the host fails to create the replacement mapping. To remediate this issue, users should upgrade to Firecracker 1.16.2 or 1.17.0 and later.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Detection of Error Condition Without Action
The product detects a specific error, but takes no actions to handle the error.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Properly handle each exception. This is the recommended solution. Ensure that all exceptions are handled in such a way that you can be sure of the state of your system at any given moment.
- If a function returns an error, it is important to either fix the problem and try again, alert the user that an error has happened and let the program continue, or alert the user and close and cleanup the program.
- Subject the product to extensive testing to discover some of the possible instances of where/how errors or return values are not handled. Consider testing techniques such as ad hoc, equivalence partitioning, robustness and fault tolerance, mutation, and fuzzing.
More Detection of Error Condition Without Action vulnerabilities (CWE-390)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in firecracker
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Detection of Error Condition Without Action vulnerabilities
- 7.4 High severity
- 9.4 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
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