GHSA-mvff-h3cj-wj9c
HIGHUnprivileged pod using `hostPath` can side-step active LSM when it is SELinux
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.
Blast Radius
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
Containers launched through containerd’s CRI implementation on Linux systems which use the SELinux security module and containerd versions since v1.5.0 can cause arbitrary files and directories on the host to be relabeled to match the container process label through the use of specially-configured bind mounts in a hostPath volume. This relabeling elevates permissions for the container, granting full read/write access over the affected files and directories. Kubernetes and crictl can both be configured to use containerd’s CRI implementation.
If you are not using containerd’s CRI implementation (through one of the mechanisms described above), you are not affected by this issue.
Patches
This bug has been fixed in containerd 1.5.9. Because file labels persist independently of containerd, users should both update to these versions as soon as they are released and validate that all files on their host are correctly labeled.
Workarounds
Ensure that no sensitive files or directories are used as a hostPath volume source location. Policy enforcement mechanisms such a Kubernetes Pod Security Policy AllowedHostPaths may be specified to limit the files and directories that can be bind-mounted to containers.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in containerd
- Email us at [email protected]
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/containerd/containerd | ≥ 1.5.0&&< 1.5.9 | 1.5.9 |
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. 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/containerd/containerd to 1.5.9 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-mvff-h3cj-wj9c 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-mvff-h3cj-wj9c 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-mvff-h3cj-wj9c. 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-mvff-h3cj-wj9c in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-mvff-h3cj-wj9c across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.