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GHSA-c72p-9xmj-rx3w

MediumCVSS 5 / 10
Published Jul 26, 2021·Last modified Mar 13, 2026
Affected Components(0)

No affected components available

Description

Impact

A bug was found in containerd where pulling and extracting a specially-crafted container image can result in Unix file permission changes for existing files in the host’s filesystem. Changes to file permissions can deny access to the expected owner of the file, widen access to others, or set extended bits like setuid, setgid, and sticky. This bug does not directly allow files to be read, modified, or executed without an additional cooperating process.

Patches

This bug has been fixed in containerd 1.5.4 and 1.4.8. Users should update to these versions as soon as they are released. Running containers do not need to be restarted.

Workarounds

Ensure you only pull images from trusted sources.

Linux security modules (LSMs) like SELinux and AppArmor can limit the files potentially affected by this bug through policies and profiles that prevent containerd from interacting with unexpected files.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

  • Open an issue
  • Email us at security@containerd.io if you think you’ve found a security bug.
Risk Scores
Base Score
5.0

The vulnerability can be exploited over the network without needing physical access. It is difficult for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability and may require special conditions. An attacker does not need any special privileges or access rights. The attacker needs the user to perform some action, like clicking a link. The impact is confined to the system where the vulnerability exists. There is a low impact on the confidentiality of the information. There is a low impact on the integrity of the data. There is a low impact on the availability of the system.

Threat Intelligence
4.6

Exploitation attempts have been detected. Elevated vigilance and prompt remediation are advised.

EPSS
1.61%

The exploit probability is very low. The vulnerability is unlikely to be exploited in the next 30 days.

Exploit
Not available

We did not find any exploit available. Neither in GitHub repositories nor in the Exploit-Database.

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