Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. In versions prior to 3.27.0, an issue in Kata with Cloud Hypervisor allows a user of the container to modify the file system used by the Guest micro VM ultimately achieving arbitrary code execution as root in said VM. The current understanding is this doesn’t impact the security of the Host or of other containers / VMs running on that Host (note that arm64 QEMU lacks NVDIMM read-only support: It is believed that until the upstream QEMU gains this capability, a guest write could reach the image file). Version 3.27.0 patches the issue.
The vulnerability, classified as CWE-732 (improper permissions on a resource), results from insufficient protection of the Guest micro VM filesystem in Kata Containers when using Cloud Hypervisor. A container user can modify the VM filesystem, thereby gaining the ability to execute arbitrary code with root privileges within that virtual machine. Additional risk applies to arm64 platforms with QEMU, where lack of read-only mode support for NVDIMM means that writes from the guest can reach the image file on the host.
An attacker who is a container user can obtain root privileges inside the Guest micro VM and execute arbitrary code in it. According to current knowledge, the vulnerability does not directly affect the security of the host or other containers or virtual machines running on this host, except for arm64 platforms with QEMU, where writing to the image file is possible.
Kata Containers should be updated to version 3.27.0, which contains a patch that resolves the issue. Details are available in the official advisory and in the vendor's references.
Kata Containers in versions before 3.27.0, configurations with Cloud Hypervisor; additional risk on arm64 platforms with QEMU (lack of NVDIMM read-only support)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HKatacontainers Kata Containers
APPKatacontainers< 3.27.0
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