GHSA-265r-hfxg-fhmg CVE-2024-40635 GO-2025-3528
containerd has an integer overflow in User ID handling
- Severity
- 4.6 / 10
- High · CVSS 3.1
- Exploit chance (EPSS)
- 0.30%
- Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Higher than 23.23% of scored vulnerabilities.
- Known exploited
- No
- Not in CISA's catalog
- Weakness
- CWE-190 Integer Overflow or Wraparound
- Fix
- Available
- 2 packages have a fixed version
Description
Impact
A bug was found in containerd where containers launched with a User set as a UID:GID larger than the maximum 32-bit signed integer can cause an overflow condition where the container ultimately runs as root (UID 0). This could cause unexpected behavior for environments that require containers to run as a non-root user.
Patches
This bug has been fixed in the following containerd versions:
- 2.0.4 (Fixed in https://github.com/containerd/containerd/commit/1a43cb6a1035441f9aca8f5666a9b3ef9e70ab20)
- 1.7.27 (Fixed in https://github.com/containerd/containerd/commit/05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da)
- 1.6.38 (Fixed in https://github.com/containerd/containerd/commit/cf158e884cfe4812a6c371b59e4ea9bc4c46e51a)
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 Benjamin Koltermann and emxll for responsibly disclosing this issue in accordance with the containerd security policy.
References
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in containerd
- Email us at security@containerd.io
To report a security issue in containerd:
- Report a new vulnerability
- Email us at security@containerd.io
Affected versions
Go
| Package | Vulnerable | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| github.com/containerd/containerd | >= 1.7.0-beta.0, < 1.7.27 |
1.7.27 |
| github.com/containerd/containerd | < 1.6.38 |
1.6.38 |
| github.com/containerd/containerd | < 1.6.38>= 1.7.0-beta.0, < 1.7.27 |
1.6.381.7.27 |
| github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 | < 2.0.4 |
2.0.4 |
How to fix
Move to the fixed version or later with your package manager, update the lockfile, and run your tests. If the package only arrives through another dependency, upgrade that dependency first. If none of its releases pulls a fixed version yet, force the version with your package manager's override.
github.com/containerd/containerd Go → 1.7.27
- go
go get github.com/containerd/containerd@v1.7.27 && go mod tidy
github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 Go → 2.0.4
- go
go get github.com/containerd/containerd/v2@v2.0.4 && go mod tidy
Severity breakdown
CVSS 3.1 4.6
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Weakness
CWE-190: Integer Overflow or Wraparound
The product performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This occurs when an integer value is incremented to a value that is too large to store in the associated representation. When this occurs, the value may become a very small or negative number.
How to prevent it
- Requirements: Ensure that all protocols are strictly defined, such that all out-of-bounds behavior can be identified simply, and require strict conformance to the protocol.
- Requirements: Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. If possible, choose a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.
- Architecture and Design: Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid [REF-1482]. Use libraries or frameworks that make it easier to handle numbers without unexpected consequences. Examples include safe integer handling packages such as SafeInt (C++) or IntegerLib (C or C++). [REF-106]
- Implementation: Perform input validation on any numeric input by ensuring that it is within the expected range. Enforce that the input meets both the minimum and maximum requirements for the expected range. Use unsigned integers where possible. This makes it easier to perform validation for integer overflows. When signed integers are required, ensure that the range check includes minimum values as well as maximum values.
- Implementation: Understand the programming language's underlying representation and how it interacts with numeric calculation (CWE-681). Pay close attention to byte size discrepancies, precision, signed/unsigned distinctions, truncation, conversion and casting between types, "not-a-number" calculations, and how the language handles numbers that are too large or too small for its underlying representation. [REF-7] Also be careful to account for 32-bit, 64-bit, and other potential differences that may affect the numeric representation.
- Architecture and Design: For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Implementation: Examine compiler warnings closely and eliminate problems with potential security implications, such as signed / unsigned mismatch in memory operations, or use of uninitialized variables. Even if the weakness is rarely exploitable, a single failure may lead to the compromise of the entire system.
References
Advisories
Packages
Other links
- github.com/containerd/containerd/security/advisories/GHSA-265r-hfxg-fhmg
- github.com/containerd/containerd/commit/05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
- github.com/containerd/containerd/commit/1a43cb6a1035441f9aca8f5666a9b3ef9e70ab20
- github.com/containerd/containerd/commit/cf158e884cfe4812a6c371b59e4ea9bc4c46e51a
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00005.html
Timeline
- Published
- Last updated by the source
- Latest EPSS score
Related advisories
| Advisory | Severity | Why it's related |
|---|---|---|
| GHSA-rp3h-jf77-q9p4 containerd: Unpack DoS via repeated opaque whiteouts | Medium | Also affects github.com/containerd/containerd |
| GO-2026-6791 containerd CRI plugin: Checkpoint restore bypasses destination security context | High | Also affects github.com/containerd/containerd |
| GHSA-pg57-6jwg-q645 Containerd has image-pull DoS via crafted OCI index graph amplification | Medium | Also affects github.com/containerd/containerd |
| GHSA-7jxh-36q5-gcqv containerd: CRI ExecSync Goroutine Leak Leads to Node-Level Denial of Service | Medium | Also affects github.com/containerd/containerd |
| GO-2026-5064 containerd CRI checkpoint restore CDI annotation smuggling | Critical | Also affects github.com/containerd/containerd |
| GO-2026-5622 Arbitrary host CRI log file read via symlink following in CRI checkpoint restore | Medium | Also affects github.com/containerd/containerd |
| GHSA-xhf5-7wjv-pqxp containerd CRI — image-config `LABEL` flows to restart-monitor `binary://` logger: host-root command execution from an image pull | High | Also affects github.com/containerd/containerd |
| GO-2026-5338 containerd: CRI checkpoint import allows local image tag poisoning | Critical | Also affects github.com/containerd/containerd |
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