OCI image importer memory exhaustion in github.com/containerd/containerdGHSA-259w-8hf6-59c2
MEDIUMFix: containerd/containerd@0c31490GHSA-259w-8hf6-59c2 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.5) CWE-770 vulnerability in github.com/containerd/containerd. A fix is available for github.com/containerd/containerd — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-259w-8hf6-59c2.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
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
When importing an OCI image, there was no limit on the number of bytes read for certain files. A maliciously crafted image with a large file where a limit was not applied could cause a denial of service.
Patches
This bug has been fixed in containerd 1.6.18 and 1.5.18. Users should update to these versions to resolve the issue.
Workarounds
Ensure that only trusted images are used and that only trusted users have permissions to import images.
Credits
The containerd project would like to thank David Korczynski and Adam Korczynski of ADA Logics for responsibly disclosing this issue in accordance with the containerd security policy during a security fuzzing audit sponsored by CNCF.
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 |
Affected Products
containerdlinuxfoundationDetection & 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 GHSA-259w-8hf6-59c2 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
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.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Ceph Storage 9.0 | ceph-2:20.1.0-144.el10cp | RHSA-2026:1536 |
| RHEL-9-CNV-4.14 | container-native-virtualization/multus-dynamic-networks-rhel9:v4.14.0-34 | RHSA-2023:6817 |
| Red Hat Ceph Storage 7.1 | rhceph/grafana-rhel9:1791450715 | RHSA-2026:83548 |
| Red Hat Ceph Storage 8.1 | rhceph/grafana-rhel9:1787305054 | RHSA-2026:62115 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-259w-8hf6-59c2 in your dependencies?
Find it across Go, including transitive dependencies.