CVE-2018-10205 in hyperstart
Summary
by MITRE
hyperstart 1.0.0 in HyperHQ Hyper has memory leaks in the container_setup_modules and hyper_rescan_scsi functions in container.c, related to runV 1.0.0 for Docker.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10205 represents a critical memory management flaw within the hyperstart component of HyperHQ Hyper platform, which operates as a container runtime environment for Docker orchestration. This issue affects version 1.0.0 of hyperstart and is specifically embedded within the container.c source file, where two distinct functions demonstrate problematic memory handling behaviors that can lead to resource exhaustion over time. The vulnerability manifests through the container_setup_modules and hyper_rescan_scsi functions, which are integral to the container initialization and SCSI device rescan processes respectively.
The technical implementation of this memory leak occurs when the container_setup_modules function fails to properly release allocated memory resources after completing its module setup operations, while the hyper_rescan_scsi function exhibits similar shortcomings during SCSI device enumeration and rescan activities. These functions operate within the broader runV 1.0.0 framework that serves as the underlying container execution environment, making the vulnerability particularly concerning as it affects core container lifecycle management operations. The memory allocation patterns in these functions do not include proper deallocation mechanisms, causing allocated memory blocks to remain in the system heap even after their intended use has completed, leading to progressive memory consumption that can eventually exhaust available system resources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security and stability risks for containerized environments relying on HyperHQ Hyper platform. The memory leak can lead to system performance degradation, application crashes, and ultimately system instability or complete resource exhaustion that may require manual intervention or system reboot. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly initiating container operations that trigger these memory leak functions, effectively creating a denial of service condition that impacts the availability of containerized applications and services. The impact extends beyond simple resource consumption as it can affect the entire container orchestration platform, potentially compromising the integrity of containerized workloads and the underlying infrastructure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which specifically addresses improper release of memory after intended use, and represents a classic example of memory leak exploitation that can be leveraged in various attack scenarios. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability could be categorized under T1499.004 for network denial of service and potentially T1070.004 for indicator removal through memory manipulation techniques. Organizations using HyperHQ Hyper platform should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of hyperstart and runV components, implementing memory monitoring systems to detect unusual memory consumption patterns, and establishing regular system maintenance routines to prevent accumulation of leaked memory resources. Additionally, container orchestration platforms should be configured with resource limits and monitoring capabilities to detect and mitigate potential exploitation attempts that could lead to system-wide resource exhaustion and service disruption.