CVE-2020-29602 in irssi Docker Image
Summary
by MITRE • 12/09/2020
The official irssi docker images before 1.1-alpine (Alpine specific) contain a blank password for a root user. System using the irssi docker container deployed by affected versions of the Docker image may allow an remote attacker to achieve root access with a blank password.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-29602 affects the official irssi docker images prior to version 1.1-alpine, specifically targeting Alpine Linux-based deployments. This represents a critical security flaw where the root user account within the container image is configured with a blank password, creating an obvious and exploitable access vector for remote attackers. The issue stems from improper container image configuration during the build process, where default system accounts are not properly secured with strong authentication mechanisms. This vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles and represents a classic example of weak credential management in containerized environments.
The technical flaw manifests through the presence of a root user account with no password set, allowing any remote attacker who can establish a connection to the container to immediately gain root privileges without any authentication barriers. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-259 as "Use of Hard-coded Password" and also relates to CWE-798 as "Use of Hard-coded Credentials" since the blank password represents a hardcoded credential that should never be present in production systems. The flaw exists at the container image level rather than the application itself, making it particularly dangerous as it provides immediate system-level access regardless of any application-specific security controls that might otherwise be in place.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to achieve complete system compromise with minimal effort and no specialized tools required. The attack surface is significantly expanded since the container is running with root privileges, enabling attackers to modify system files, install malware, access sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised container as a pivot point to attack other systems within the network infrastructure. This vulnerability can be exploited through any network interface that allows access to the container, making it particularly dangerous in cloud environments or container orchestration platforms where containers might be exposed to untrusted networks. The impact extends beyond individual containers to potentially affect entire container clusters or orchestration systems if the compromised container is used as a foothold for lateral movement.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through updating to the patched version 1.1-alpine or later, which properly configures the root account with a secure password. Organizations should implement container image scanning processes to identify and remediate similar issues in other container images within their environments. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that containers run with non-root users whenever possible, and any containers requiring root privileges should have their access restricted through proper network segmentation and access controls. Additionally, regular security audits of container images should include checks for hardcoded credentials and weak authentication mechanisms. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure container image creation practices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.1.1 for Valid Accounts: Default Accounts, where attackers exploit default or weak credentials to gain unauthorized access to systems. Organizations should also consider implementing container security platforms that can automatically detect and alert on such credential-related vulnerabilities in real-time.