CVE-2023-25173 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) CWE-863 vulnerability in github.com/containerd/containerd. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for github.com/containerd/containerd — see the affected versions and patch details below.
containerd supplementary groups are not set up properly
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-25173.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2023-25173 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,156 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/containerd/containerd🐹github.com/containerd/containerdReal-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
Impact
A bug was found in containerd where supplementary groups are not set up properly inside a container. If an attacker has direct access to a container and manipulates their supplementary group access, they may be able to use supplementary group access to bypass primary group restrictions in some cases, potentially gaining access to sensitive information or gaining the ability to execute code in that container.
Downstream applications that use the containerd client library may be affected as well.
Patches
This bug has been fixed in containerd v1.6.18 and v.1.5.18. Users should update to these versions and recreate containers to resolve this issue. Users who rely on a downstream application that uses containerd's client library should check that application for a separate advisory and instructions.
Workarounds
Ensure that the "USER $USERNAME" Dockerfile instruction is not used. Instead, set the container entrypoint to a value similar to ENTRYPOINT ["su", "-", "user"] to allow su to properly set up supplementary groups.
References
- https://www.benthamsgaze.org/2022/08/22/vulnerability-in-linux-containers-investigation-and-mitigation/
- Docker/Moby: CVE-2022-36109, fixed in Docker 20.10.18
- CRI-O: CVE-2022-2995, fixed in CRI-O 1.25.0
- Podman: CVE-2022-2989, fixed in Podman 3.0.1 and 4.2.0
- Buildah: CVE-2022-2990, fixed in Buildah 1.27.1
Note that CVE IDs apply to a particular implementation, even if an issue is common.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in containerd
- Email us at [email protected]
To report a security issue in containerd:
- Report a new vulnerability
- Email us at [email protected]
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/containerd/containerd | all versions | 1.5.18go get github.com/containerd/containerd@v1.5.18 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/containerd/containerd | ≥ 1.6.0&&< 1.6.18 | 1.6.18go get github.com/containerd/containerd@v1.6.18 |
Research 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/containerd/containerd, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/containerd/containerd to 1.5.18 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-25173 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2023-25173 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2023-25173. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
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 following products include containerd related code, but do not use the specific Go packages impacted by this CVE, `containerd/cri/server` and `containerd/oci`. This CVE is therefore rated Low for these products: * OpenShift Container Platform * OpenShift Service Mesh * OpenShift API for Data Protection * Red Hat…
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| OADP-1.1-RHEL-8 | oadp/oadp-velero-plugin-rhel8:1.1.6-5 | RHSA-2023:5314 |
| Openshift Serverless 1 on RHEL 8 | openshift-serverless-clients-0:1.8.1-3.el8 | RHSA-2023:3450 |
| OSE-OSC-1.5-RHEL-9 | openshift-sandboxed-containers/osc-rhel9-operator:1.5.0-14 | RHEA-2023:7493 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | container-tools:rhel8-8090020230825121312.e7857ab1 | RHSA-2023:6939 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | buildah-1:1.31.3-1.el9 | RHSA-2023:6473 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | podman-2:4.6.1-5.el9 | RHSA-2023:6474 |
| Red Hat Migration Toolkit for Containers 1.7 | rhmtc/openshift-migration-controller-rhel8:v1.7.9-4 | RHSA-2023:2107 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.11 | openshift4-wincw/windows-machine-config-rhel8-operator:6.0.1-38 | RHSA-2023:4488 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-25173 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2023-25173 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.