Vulnerability-Lookup

oesa-2026-3653

Vulnerability from osv_openeuler

Published

2026-09-05 15:03

Modified

2026-09-05 15:03

Summary

kata-containers-go security update

Details

This is core component of Kata Container, to make it work, you need a isulad/docker engine.

Security Fix(es):

A flaw was found in Kata Containers, affecting both its Rust and Go runtimes. An authenticated pod user can exploit this by setting the io.katacontainers.config_path annotation to an arbitrary configuration file on the host. This allows the attacker to control privileged runtime settings, leading to the execution of malicious binaries as root on the host system. The primary consequence is arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.(CVE-2026-50540)

Severity

9.6 (Critical)


                    
                      CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

References

URL

Type

	https://www.openeuler.org/zh/security/security-bu…	ADVISORY
	https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-50540	ADVISORY

JSON

To clipboard

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "aarch64": [
          "kata-containers-go-1.11.1-35.oe2403sp3.aarch64.rpm"
        ],
        "src": [
          "kata-containers-go-1.11.1-35.oe2403sp3.src.rpm"
        ],
        "x86_64": [
          "kata-containers-go-1.11.1-35.oe2403sp3.x86_64.rpm"
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "openEuler:24.03-LTS-SP3",
        "name": "kata-containers-go",
        "purl": "pkg:rpm/openEuler/kata-containers-go\u0026distro=openEuler-24.03-LTS-SP3"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "1.11.1-35.oe2403sp3"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "severity": "Critical"
  },
  "details": "This is core component of Kata Container, to make it work, you need a isulad/docker engine.\r\n\r\nSecurity Fix(es):\n\nA flaw was found in Kata Containers, affecting both its Rust and Go runtimes. An authenticated pod user can exploit this by setting the `io.katacontainers.config_path` annotation to an arbitrary configuration file on the host. This allows the attacker to control privileged runtime settings, leading to the execution of malicious binaries as root on the host system. The primary consequence is arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.(CVE-2026-50540)",
  "id": "OESA-2026-3653",
  "modified": "2026-09-05T15:03:31Z",
  "published": "2026-09-05T15:03:31Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://www.openeuler.org/zh/security/security-bulletins/detail/?id=openEuler-SA-2026-3653"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-50540"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.7.2",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "kata-containers-go security update",
  "upstream": [
    "CVE-2026-50540"
  ]
}

CVE-2026-50540 (GCVE-0-2026-50540)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-07 20:56 – Updated: 2026-08-24 06:13

Title

Kata Containers: Config Path Annotation Arbitrary File Loading

Summary

Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. Prior to version 4.0.0, kata-runtime is vulnerable to host code execution via an unvalidated configuration path annotation. The runtime accepts an arbitrary io.katacontainers.config_path pod annotation and loads the referenced host TOML file without restriction. As a result, a pod user who can place a file at a host-visible path can supply a configuration that selects an attacker-controlled hypervisor or virtio-fs daemon binary, executing code as root on the host. This issue is fixed in version 4.0.0.

Severity

9.6 (Critical)


                        
                          CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

SSVC

Exploitation: none Automatable: no Technical Impact: total

CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)

Decision recorded 2026-08-12 22:09 UTC

CWE

CWE-20 - Improper Input Validation
CWE-22 - Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

Assigner

GitHub_M mitre root

References

4 references

URL	Tags
https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-container…	x_refsource_CONFIRM
https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-container…	x_refsource_MISC
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/23/3
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/24/1

Impacted products

1 product

Vendor	Product	Version
kata-containers	kata-containers	Affected: < 4.0.0

Show details on NVD website

JSON

To clipboard

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2026-50540",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-08-12T22:09:40.538007Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-08-12T22:15:26.669Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      },
      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-08-24T06:13:27.182Z",
          "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
          "shortName": "CVE"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/23/3"
          },
          {
            "url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/24/1"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "kata-containers",
          "vendor": "kata-containers",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003c 4.0.0"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. Prior to version 4.0.0, kata-runtime is vulnerable to host code execution via an unvalidated configuration path annotation. The runtime accepts an arbitrary io.katacontainers.config_path pod annotation and loads the referenced host TOML file without restriction. As a result, a pod user who can place a file at a host-visible path can supply a configuration that selects an attacker-controlled hypervisor or virtio-fs daemon binary, executing code as root on the host. This issue is fixed in version 4.0.0."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
            "baseScore": 9.6,
            "baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
            "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
            "scope": "CHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N",
            "version": "3.1"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-20",
              "description": "CWE-20: Improper Input Validation",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-22",
              "description": "CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory (\u0027Path Traversal\u0027)",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-07T20:56:26.209Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/security/advisories/GHSA-mp2j-xm59-qfgw",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/security/advisories/GHSA-mp2j-xm59-qfgw"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/commit/03cc670076099530f4e1e9cb22849afdafb20f65",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/commit/03cc670076099530f4e1e9cb22849afdafb20f65"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-mp2j-xm59-qfgw",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "Kata Containers: Config Path Annotation Arbitrary File Loading"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-50540",
    "datePublished": "2026-08-07T20:56:26.209Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-06-04T20:37:18.653Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-24T06:13:27.182Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base model, served locally by ML-Gateway. They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.

Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.