Tailscale SSH flaws can yield root on connected servers
Original title: Tailscale SSH Vulnerabilities Allow Attackers to Gain Root Access to Connected Servers
Lab tests on Tailscale 1.104.2 and headscale 0.29.5 showed root via privileged socket forwarding; no fixes yet.
Cyberdione Labs’ Tailworm report describes high-severity issues in Tailscale 1.104.2 and headscale 0.29.5. An authenticated peer can abuse root-privileged Unix-socket forwarding in Tailscale SSH to reach a Docker socket, read /etc/shadow, replace root sockets, and move laterally in under a second per hop in the lab. conn25 and memory-exhaustion issues were also reported. As of October 25, no CVEs or fixed versions were announced; Tailscale is investigating.
Unconfirmed: No CVE identifiers or fixed versions had been announced, and findings were reproduced only in a lab.
- Assessment covered October 22–24, 2026, in laboratory environments only.
- Issue T3 used ssh -L to reach a privileged Docker socket and read /etc/shadow.
- Issue T2 used ssh -R so a privileged process could replace root-owned Unix sockets.
- Headscale 0.29.5 cannot disable SSH forwarding on its own.
Impact: Root command execution and access to password hashes
| Product | Affected |
|---|---|
| Tailscale | 1.104.2 |
| headscale | 0.29.5 |
- 1.Review Tailscale SSH permissions and limit source and destination devices.
- 2.Turn off unnecessary port forwarding; Headscale 0.29.5 cannot disable it alone.
- 3.Restrict app-connector access, use destination allowlists, and watch device enrollments.
- Vendors
- Tailscale
- Products
- headscale
- Organizations
- Cyberdione Labs
From the original article
2 min read at gbhackers.com
Security researchers have revealed multiple high-severity vulnerabilities in Tailscale and Headscale that could let attackers gain root access to connected servers, bypass network security policies, steal credentials, and disrupt remote-access infrastructure. Erica Windisch of Cyberdione Labs published these findings in a security research report titled Tailworm. The assessment examined Tailscale version 1.
By Divya · gbhackers.com
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