CVE-2023-30549
HighApptainer is an open source container platform for Linux. There is an ext4 use-after-free flaw that is exploitable through versions of Apptainer < 1.1.0 and installations that include apptainer-suid < 1.1.8 on older operating systems where that CVE has not been patched. That includes Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Debian 10 buster (unless the linux-5.10 package is installed), Ubuntu 18.04 bionic and Ubuntu 20.04 focal. Use-after-free flaws in the kernel can be used to attack the kernel for denial of service and potentially for privilege escalation. Apptainer 1.1.8 includes a patch that by default disables mounting of extfs filesystem types in setuid-root mode, while continuing to allow mounting of extfs filesystems in non-setuid "rootless" mode using fuse2fs. Some workarounds are possible. Either do not install apptainer-suid (for versions 1.1.0 through 1.1.7) or set `allow setuid = no` in apptainer.conf. This requires having unprivileged user namespaces enabled and except for apptainer 1.1.x versions will disallow mounting of sif files, extfs files, and squashfs files in addition to other, less significant impacts. (Encrypted sif files are also not supported unprivileged in apptainer 1.1.x.). Alternatively, use the `limit containers` options in apptainer.conf/singularity.conf to limit sif files to trusted users, groups, and/or paths, and set `allow container extfs = no` to disallow mounting of extfs overlay files. The latter option by itself does not disallow mounting of extfs overlay partitions inside SIF files, so that's why the former options are also needed.
CVSS 3.1 score
7.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness type
CWE-416CVE-2023-30549 is a Use After Free vulnerability
What is Use After Free?
The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. Learn more on MITRE CWE
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2023-30549 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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Not Applicable
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Release Notes
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Mitigation Vendor Advisory
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Debian Securityhttps://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2022-1184Not Applicable
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Ubuntu Securityhttps://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2022-1184Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://github.com/apptainer/apptainer/commit/5a4964f5ba9c8d89a0e353b97f51fd607670a9f7
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/2220eaf90992c11d888fe771055d4de3303
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/4f04351888a83e595571de672e0a4a8b74f
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2023-30549?
CVE-2023-30549 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10 , classified as an Use After Free flaw (CWE-416) . CVE-2023-30549 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-30549?
CVE-2023-30549 has a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10, rated High severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2023-30549?
No patch is currently available for CVE-2023-30549. Monitor the NIST NVD and your Linux distribution's security advisories for updates.
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Is CVE-2023-30549 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2023-30549 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
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What is Use After Free (CWE-416)?
The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. View CWE-416 on MITRE CWE →