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Kubernetes kubectl cp Vulnerable to Symlink Attack

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published May 18, 2021 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Sep 18, 2023

Package

gomod k8s.io/kubernetes (Go)

Affected versions

>= 1.13.10, < 1.13.11
>= 1.14.6, < 1.14.7
>= 1.15.3, < 1.16.0

Patched versions

1.13.11
1.14.7
1.16.0

Description

The Kubernetes kubectl cp command in versions 1.1-1.12, and versions prior to 1.13.11, 1.14.7, and 1.15.4 allows a combination of two symlinks provided by tar output of a malicious container to place a file outside of the destination directory specified in the kubectl cp invocation. This could be used to allow an attacker to place a nefarious file using a symlink, outside of the destination tree.

References

Reviewed May 17, 2021
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database May 18, 2021
Last updated Sep 18, 2023

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS score

0.050%
(22nd percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2019-11251

GHSA ID

GHSA-6qfg-8799-r575

Source code

No known source code
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