CVE-2024-21403
Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2024-21403 is a critical-severity Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties (CWE-552) vulnerability in Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service. Its CVSS base score is 9.0 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data from Local System (T1005); ranked in the top 31% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-19113
Vulnerability Data
Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service Confidential Container Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
—
—
- 5 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
V8.4.2
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
AC-3 directly enforces authorization checks on access to files and directories, stopping unauthorized external exposure.
AC-6 limits granted privileges, reducing the chance that files or directories become reachable by external parties.
AC-4 enforces information flow rules that can block unauthorized external access to files or directories.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Enforcing least-privilege permissions and authorization policies directly prevents unauthorized file/directory exposure.
Logical segmentation and access protections stop external parties from reaching files that should remain internal.
Data-at-rest protections such as encryption or ACLs reduce the impact of unintended file exposure.
Hardened configuration baselines commonly include file-system permission settings that limit external access.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
By tracing and retrieving all copies of information stored on endpoint and portable devices, the control reduces the likelihood that files remain accessible outside the organization’s security perimeter.
Labeling information according to its sensitivity and specifying corresponding protection measures makes it less probable that files or directories containing sensitive content will be left accessible to external parties.
Including asset location and ownership in the inventory, combined with secure disposal procedures, decreases the chance that files or directories remain accessible to external parties after they should have been removed or restricted.
Solid perimeters and locked external access points stop files, devices, or directories containing sensitive data from being reachable by external parties who could otherwise walk in or break in.
Authorizing and logging the removal of storage media, disabling unused ports, and monitoring transfers limit the exposure of files or directories to external parties outside the organization’s controlled environment.
Segregating delivery/loading zones and controlling external doors prevents external parties from reaching directories or resources that should remain inaccessible.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
- V-248579 OL 8 must restrict access to the kernel message buffer. prevents CWE-552
- V-248597 There must be no "shosts.equiv" files on the OL 8 operating system. prevents CWE-552