CVE-2022-23648
Published: 03 March 2022
Summary
CVE-2022-23648 is a high-severity Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor (CWE-200) vulnerability in Linuxfoundation Containerd. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, ranked in the top 9.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis
containerd is an open-source container runtime that provides a daemon for Linux and Windows. A vulnerability in versions prior to 1.6.1, 1.5.10, and 1.4.12 allows containers started via its CRI implementation on Linux to obtain read-only access to arbitrary host files and directories when supplied with a specially crafted image configuration. The flaw affects any environment using containerd’s CRI endpoint, including Kubernetes clusters and tools such as crictl, and can bypass policy controls such as Kubernetes Pod Security Policies.
An attacker able to supply or influence container image configuration can exploit the issue to read sensitive host data without requiring elevated privileges on the host itself. Because the access occurs through the normal CRI path, the attack can be carried out by any user or workload permitted to create pods or containers against the affected containerd instance, resulting in disclosure of information that should have been isolated.
Official fixes are available in containerd releases 1.6.1, 1.5.10, and 1.4.12 (or later). Administrators are advised to upgrade and to verify that clusters are using the patched versions of the runtime.
The EPSS score for this CVE rose from a low baseline to a peak of 0.0930, indicating that exploitation interest increased after public disclosure.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2022-1411
Vulnerability details
containerd is a container runtime available as a daemon for Linux and Windows. A bug was found in containerd prior to versions 1.6.1, 1.5.10, and 1.14.12 where containers launched through containerd’s CRI implementation on Linux with a specially-crafted image configuration…
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could gain access to read-only copies of arbitrary files and directories on the host. This may bypass any policy-based enforcement on container setup (including a Kubernetes Pod Security Policy) and expose potentially sensitive information. Kubernetes and crictl can both be configured to use containerd’s CRI implementation. This bug has been fixed in containerd 1.6.1, 1.5.10, and 1.4.12. Users should update to these versions to resolve the issue.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Automated marking applies security attributes to system outputs, making it harder for attackers to exploit unmarked sensitive information leading to unauthorized exposure.
Proper attribute retention and permitted-value enforcement limits unauthorized actors from accessing sensitive information lacking correct labels.
Prevents unauthorized exposure of sensitive information by prohibiting untrusted external systems from processing or storing it.
By enforcing authorization matching prior to sharing, the control reduces the risk of exposing sensitive information to unauthorized actors.
Review and removal of nonpublic information from publicly accessible systems directly prevents exposure of sensitive data to unauthorized actors.
Data mining protection mechanisms detect and block unauthorized bulk extraction of sensitive data, directly mitigating exposure to unauthorized actors.
Literacy training teaches users to recognize and avoid actions that result in unauthorized exposure of sensitive information.
Retaining and monitoring training records confirms personnel have completed privacy and security awareness training on handling sensitive data, reducing the chance of unauthorized exposure due to lack of knowledge.