CVE-2020-13846 in Singularity
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2023
Sylabs Singularity 3.5.0 through 3.5.3 fails to report an error in a Status Code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-13846 affects Sylabs Singularity container runtime versions 3.5.0 through 3.5.3, specifically addressing a critical flaw in error handling mechanisms that undermines the system's ability to properly report status codes during container operations. This issue represents a significant security concern within containerized environments where accurate status reporting is essential for proper system monitoring and security posture management. The vulnerability stems from the software's failure to correctly propagate error conditions through its status code reporting system, potentially leading to silent failures that could go unnoticed by administrators and security monitoring tools.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure in the error propagation mechanism within Singularity's container execution framework, where legitimate error conditions are not properly translated into appropriate status codes that would alert system operators to potential issues. This malfunction creates a scenario where container operations may fail silently, allowing malicious actors or system failures to persist without detection. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-252, which describes "Unchecked Return Value" conditions where programs fail to check the return values of functions that may indicate failure conditions. When Singularity encounters an error during container execution, it fails to return the expected error codes that would normally trigger appropriate system responses or alert mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple error reporting, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of containerized application deployments and monitoring systems. Administrators relying on status codes for automated security checks, compliance verification, or system health monitoring may be misled into believing that container operations are proceeding normally when they are actually failing. This could result in undetected security breaches, compliance violations, or system failures that persist longer than necessary. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to exploit the silent failure conditions to bypass security controls or to hide malicious activities within containerized environments where normal error reporting would otherwise alert security teams to suspicious behavior.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to ATT&CK technique T1562.001, which covers "Disable or Modify Tools", as the failure to properly report errors could mask malicious activities that would otherwise be detected through normal system monitoring. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1484.001, "Domain Policy Modification", as improper error reporting could interfere with security policy enforcement mechanisms that depend on accurate status information. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Singularity version 3.5.4 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to properly handle error conditions and status code reporting. Additionally, system administrators should enhance their monitoring procedures to include verification of container execution status through alternative means beyond simple status code checks, implementing more robust error detection and alerting mechanisms that can compensate for the flawed reporting system until full remediation is achieved.