15-Year-Old GhostLock Flaw Enables Root and Container Escape on Most Linux Distros

Researchers at Nebula Security discovered GhostLock (CVE-2026-43499), a 15-year-old Linux kernel vulnerability that allows an unprivileged user to gain root access on a machine. The flaw, discovered by their AI-driven bug-hunting tool VEGA, has been present in mainstream Linux distributions since 2011 and has been exploited in a chain with a Firefox vulnerability (IonStack) to achieve remote root access. While no active exploitation is currently known, the researchers have released exploit code, highlighting the ongoing risk and the need for immediate patching.