CVE-2019-16884 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) CWE-863 vulnerability in github.com/opencontainers/runc. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for github.com/opencontainers/runc — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Incorrect Authorization in runc
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2019-16884 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,738 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/opencontainers/runc🐹github.com/opencontainers/selinuxReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
runc through 1.0.0-rc8, as used in Docker through 19.03.2-ce and other products, allows AppArmor restriction bypass because libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go incorrectly checks mount targets, and thus a malicious Docker image can mount over a /proc directory.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/opencontainers/runc | all versions | 1.0.0-rc8.0.20190930145003-cad42f6e0932go get github.com/opencontainers/runc@v1.0.0-rc8.0.20190930145003-cad42f6e0932 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/opencontainers/selinux | all versions | 1.3.1-0.20190929122143-5215b1806f52go get github.com/opencontainers/selinux@v1.3.1-0.20190929122143-5215b1806f52 |
Affected Products
ubuntu linuxcanonicaldockerdockerfedorafedoraprojectrunclinuxfoundationleapopensuseenterprise linuxredhatResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/opencontainers/runc, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/opencontainers/runc to 1.0.0-rc8.0.20190930145003-cad42f6e0932 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2019-16884 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
The AppArmor security module is not supported by Red Hat, on the other hand the flaw also affects SELinux based distributions like Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Extras | runc-0:1.0.0-67.rc10.el7_8 | RHBA-2020:1232 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Extras | docker-2:1.13.1-161.git64e9980.el7_8 | RHSA-2020:1234 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | container-tools:rhel8-8010020191126140055.c294d161 | RHSA-2019:4269 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.1 | runc-0:1.0.0-62.rc8.rhaos4.1.git3cbe540.el8 | RHSA-2019:3940 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.2 | runc-0:1.0.0-63.rc8.el8 | RHSA-2019:4074 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2019-16884 in your dependencies?
Find it across Go, including transitive dependencies.