Skip to content
Heist/ feed
Back to feed
Medium

containerd supplementary groups are not set up properly

Type: advisorySources: OSV

containerd is an open source container runtime. A bug was found in containerd prior to versions 1.6.18 and 1.5.18 where supplementary groups are not set up properly inside a container. If an attacker has direct access to a container and manipulates their supplementary group access, they may be able to use supplementary group access to bypass primary group restrictions in some cases, potentially gaining access to sensitive information or gaining the ability to execute code in that container. Downstream applications that use the containerd client library may be affected as well. This bug has been fixed in containerd v1.6.18 and v.1.5.18. Users should update to these versions and recreate containers to resolve this issue. Users who rely on a downstream application that uses containerd's client library should check that application for a separate advisory and instructions. As a workaround, ensure that the `"USER $USERNAME"` Dockerfile instruction is not used. Instead, set the container entrypoint to a value similar to `ENTRYPOINT ["su", "-", "user"]` to allow `su` to properly set up supplementary groups.

Products
Not specified
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2023-25173
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
4 Nov 2026, 19:11 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

containerd supplementary groups are not set up properly

core-osv · Original source

Published 16 Feb 2023, 14:09 UTC

containerd is an open source container runtime. A bug was found in containerd prior to versions 1.6.18 and 1.5.18 where supplementary groups are not set up properly inside a container. If an attacker has direct access to a container and manipulates their supplementary group access, they may be able to use supplementary group access to bypass primary group restrictions in some cases, potentially gaining access to sensitive information or gaining the ability to execute code in that container. Downstream applications that use the containerd client library may be affected as well. This bug has been fixed in containerd v1.6.18 and v.1.5.18. Users should update to these versions and recreate containers to resolve this issue. Users who rely on a downstream application that uses containerd's client library should check that application for a separate advisory and instructions. As a workaround, ensure that the `"USER $USERNAME"` Dockerfile instruction is not used. Instead, set the container entrypoint to a value similar to `ENTRYPOINT ["su", "-", "user"]` to allow `su` to properly set up supplementary groups.

osv:CVE-2023-25173
Complete source record
{
  "id": "2407c05ea43730e65c97734b87e2e00738540a7002021b908ae9f2c27fd64fe0",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-25173",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "containerd supplementary groups are not set up properly",
    "summary": "containerd is an open source container runtime. A bug was found in containerd prior to versions 1.6.18 and 1.5.18 where supplementary groups are not set up properly inside a container. If an attacker has direct access to a container and manipulates their supplementary group access, they may be able to use supplementary group access to bypass primary group restrictions in some cases, potentially gaining access to sensitive information or gaining the ability to execute code in that container. Downstream applications that use the containerd client library may be affected as well. This bug has been fixed in containerd v1.6.18 and v.1.5.18. Users should update to these versions and recreate containers to resolve this issue. Users who rely on a downstream application that uses containerd's client library should check that application for a separate advisory and instructions. As a workaround, ensure that the `\"USER $USERNAME\"` Dockerfile instruction is not used. Instead, set the container entrypoint to a value similar to `ENTRYPOINT [\"su\", \"-\", \"user\"]` to allow `su` to properly set up supplementary groups.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2023-25173",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "medium",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2023-25173",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2023-25173",
        "GHSA-hmfx-3pcx-653p",
        "GO-2023-1574"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://github.com/containerd/containerd",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "39bb06f98f17c7a226b10269d325c861585b2389"
                },
                {
                  "introduced": "39259a8f35919a0d02c9ecc2871ddd6ccf6a7c6e"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "2456e983eb9e37e47538f59ea18f2043c9a73640"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "133f6bb6cd827ce35a5fb279c1ead12b9d21460a"
                }
              ],
              "database_specific": {
                "extracted_events": [
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:linuxfoundation:containerd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "1.5.18"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:linuxfoundation:containerd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "1.6.0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "1.6.18"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "133f6bb6cd827ce35a5fb279c1ead12b9d21460a"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "39bb06f98f17c7a226b10269d325c861585b2389"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_TAG",
                    "original_tag": "v1.5.18"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "2456e983eb9e37e47538f59ea18f2043c9a73640"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_TAG",
                    "original_tag": "v1.6.18"
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          ],
          "versions": [
            "v1.5.17",
            "v1.6.17",
            "v1.6.13",
            "v1.6.16",
            "v1.6.15",
            "v1.6.14",
            "v1.5.16",
            "v1.6.12",
            "v1.5.15",
            "v1.6.11",
            "v1.6.10",
            "v1.6.9",
            "v1.5.14",
            "v1.5.8",
            "v1.6.8",
            "v1.6.7",
            "v1.5.13",
            "v1.6.6",
            "v1.5.12",
            "v1.6.5",
            "v1.6.4",
            "v1.6.3",
            "v1.6.2",
            "v1.5.11",
            "v1.6.1",
            "v1.5.10",
            "v1.6.0",
            "v1.5.9",
            "v1.5.7",
            "v1.5.6",
            "v1.5.5",
            "v1.5.4",
            "v1.5.3",
            "v1.5.2",
            "v1.5.1",
            "v1.5.0",
            "v1.5.0-rc.3",
            "v1.5.0-rc.2",
            "v1.5.0-rc.1",
            "v1.5.0-rc.0",
            "v1.5.0-beta.4",
            "v1.5.0-beta.3",
            "v1.5.0-beta.2",
            "v1.5.0-beta.1",
            "v1.5.0-beta.0",
            "v1.4.0",
            "v1.4.0-rc.1",
            "v1.4.0-rc.0",
            "v1.4.0-beta.2",
            "v1.4.0-beta.1",
            "v1.4.0-beta.0",
            "v1.3.0",
            "v1.3.0-rc.3",
            "v1.3.0-rc.2",
            "v1.3.0-rc.1",
            "v1.3.0-rc.0",
            "v1.3.0-beta.2",
            "v1.3.0-beta.1",
            "v1.3.0-beta.0",
            "v1.2.0",
            "v1.2.0-rc.2",
            "v1.2.0-rc.1",
            "v1.2.0-rc.0",
            "v1.2.0-beta.2",
            "v1.2.0-beta.1",
            "v1.2.0-beta.0",
            "v1.1.0",
            "v1.1.0-rc.2",
            "v1.1.0-rc.1",
            "v1.1.0-rc.0",
            "v1.0.0",
            "v1.0.0-rc.0",
            "v1.0.0-beta.3",
            "v1.0.0-beta.2",
            "v1.0.0-beta.1",
            "v1.0.0-beta.0",
            "v1.0.0-alpha6",
            "v1.0.0-alpha5",
            "v1.0.0-alpha4",
            "v1.0.0-alpha3",
            "v1.0.0-alpha2",
            "v1.0.0-alpha1",
            "v1.0.0-alpha0",
            "v0.2.0",
            "0.0.5",
            "0.0.4",
            "0.0.3",
            "0.0.2"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2023-25173.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:38.584061658Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/containerd/containerd/releases/tag/v1.5.18",
        "https://github.com/containerd/containerd/releases/tag/v1.6.18",
        "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/LYZOKMMVX4SIEHPJW3SJUQGMO5YZCPHC/",
        "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/XNF4OLYZRQE75EB5TW5N42FSXHBXGWFE/",
        "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ZTE4ITXXPIWZEQ4HYQCB6N6GZIMWXDAI/",
        "https://www.benthamsgaze.org/2022/08/22/vulnerability-in-linux-containers-investigation-and-mitigation/",
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/25xxx/CVE-2023-25173.json",
        "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-4wjj-jwc9-2x96",
        "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-fjm8-m7m6-2fjp",
        "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-phjr-8j92-w5v7",
        "https://github.com/containerd/containerd/security/advisories/GHSA-hmfx-3pcx-653p",
        "https://github.com/moby/moby/security/advisories/GHSA-rc4r-wh2q-q6c4",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-25173",
        "https://github.com/containerd/containerd/commit/133f6bb6cd827ce35a5fb279c1ead12b9d21460a"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cwe_ids": [
          "CWE-863"
        ],
        "cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/25xxx/CVE-2023-25173.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2023-25173",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 506033,
  "published_at": "2023-02-16T14:09:12.073+00:00"
}