CVE-2022-1798 in KubeVirt
Summary
by MITRE • 09/15/2022
A path traversal vulnerability in KubeVirt versions up to 0.56 (and 0.55.1) on all platforms allows a user able to configure the kubevirt to read arbitrary files on the host filesystem which are publicly readable or which are readable for UID 107 or GID 107. /proc/self/<> is not accessible.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1798 represents a critical path traversal flaw within KubeVirt, a popular open-source solution for running virtual machines on Kubernetes clusters. This security weakness affects KubeVirt versions up to 0.56 and 0.55.1 across all supported platforms, creating a significant risk for containerized environments where virtual machine workloads are managed through Kubernetes orchestration. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and improper path handling within the KubeVirt configuration mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to manipulate file access patterns and potentially escalate their privileges within the host system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious user with the ability to configure KubeVirt resources can exploit improperly validated file paths during virtual machine disk image handling or configuration operations. This path traversal condition enables attackers to navigate beyond the intended directory boundaries and access files on the host filesystem that would normally be restricted. The vulnerability specifically targets files that are publicly readable or accessible to processes running with UID 107 or GID 107, which typically corresponds to the kubevirt user context within Kubernetes environments. This particular privilege level represents a common security boundary in containerized deployments where virtual machine workloads operate with limited but specific permissions.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-1798 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the capability to read arbitrary files on the host system that may contain sensitive configuration data, authentication tokens, or other confidential information. The restriction that prevents access to /proc/self/<> indicates that while the vulnerability allows for extensive file system traversal, certain kernel-level process information remains protected, suggesting that the flaw is primarily focused on user-space file access rather than direct kernel manipulation. This limitation does not reduce the severity of the vulnerability but rather indicates that the attack surface is constrained to user-accessible files and directories that exist within the host filesystem hierarchy.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as mapping to CWE-22 Path Traversal and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries leverage system-level access to enumerate and extract sensitive information from compromised environments. Organizations running KubeVirt deployments should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to versions that address this vulnerability, implementing strict access controls for KubeVirt configuration capabilities, and conducting thorough security audits of virtual machine disk image handling processes. Additional protective measures include monitoring for unauthorized KubeVirt configuration changes, restricting file system access permissions for virtual machine workloads, and implementing network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement within compromised environments. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs in containerized environments where virtualization layers interact with host system resources, particularly when those interactions involve file system access operations.