🛡️ CVE-2021-29136 — umoci
Description
Improper input validation in umoci
Impact
umoci 0.4.6 and earlier can be tricked into modifying host files by
creating a malicious layer that has a symlink with the name "." (or
"/"). Because umoci deletes inodes if they change types, this results in
the rootfs directory being replaced with an attacker-controlled symlink.
Subsequent image layers will then be applied on top of the target of the
symlink (which could be any directory on the host filesystem the user
running umoci has access to).
While umoci does have defences against symlink-based attacks, they are
all implemented by resolving things relative to the rootfs directory --
if the rootfs itself is a symlink, umoci resolves it first.
This vulnerability affects both "umoci unpack" and "umoci raw unpack".
Patches
This issue has been patched in umoci 0.4.7, see the references section
for the specific commit which fixed this vulnerability.
Workarounds
Note that if you use umoci as an unprivileged user (using the --rootless
flag) then umoci will not be able to overwrite any files that your user
doesn't have access to. Other possible mitigations are to run umoci
under an LSM profile such as AppArmor or SELinux to restrict the level
of access it has outside of container image directories.
References
- [oss-security public disclosure](https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/04/06/2)
- [patch](https://github.com/opencontainers/umoci/commit/d9efc31daf2206f7d3fdb839863cf7a576a2eb57)
Credits
Thanks to Robin Peraglie from Cure53 for discovering and reporting this
vulnerability.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory
- Open an issue in <https://github.com/opencontainers/umoci>.
- Email us at <[email protected]>.
How this vulnerability can be exploited
This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs low-level privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity high, availability none.
Weakness class
CVE-2021-29136 is classified as CWE-20: Improper Input Validation. The application accepts input without checking that it has the expected form, so malformed values reach code that assumes they are well formed.
Affected software
CVE-2021-29136 is recorded against 1 package.
- github.com/opencontainers/umoci
Timeline and source
Published on 15 February 2022 and last revised on 8 July 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from OSV.
References
github.com (Web)
nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
github.com (Web)
www.openwall.com (Web)
Details
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Affected Packages
| Software | From version | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| github.com/opencontainers/umoci | — | — |
References
More CVE 2021 advisories
Browse all of CVE 2021 in the advisory index.
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