CVE-2025-9566 in podman
Summary
by MITRE • 09/05/2025
There's a vulnerability in podman where an attacker may use the kube play command to overwrite host files when the kube file container a Secrete or a ConfigMap volume mount and such volume contains a symbolic link to a host file path. In a successful attack, the attacker can only control the target file to be overwritten but not the content to be written into the file.
Binary-Affected: podman Upstream-version-introduced: v4.0.0 Upstream-version-fixed: v5.6.1
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-9566 represents a critical file system permission issue within podman's kube play command implementation. This flaw exists in the container orchestration handling mechanism where podman processes Kubernetes manifest files containing volume mounts that reference host paths through symbolic links. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions from v4.0.0 through v5.6.0, with the issue being resolved in v5.6.1. The security concern arises from improper validation of symbolic link targets during volume mount processing, creating a potential attack vector that allows unauthorized file overwrites on the host system.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-59, which describes improper handling of symbolic links in file operations. When podman processes a Kubernetes manifest file containing a volume mount that references a symbolic link pointing to a host file, the system fails to properly validate the target path before performing file operations. This allows attackers to craft malicious Kubernetes manifests that, when processed through the kube play command, cause the container runtime to overwrite files on the host system through the symbolic link mechanism. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of path traversal attacks where the symbolic link traversal bypasses normal file system access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file overwrites, potentially enabling attackers to compromise system integrity and availability. While the attacker cannot control the specific content written to the target file, they can still overwrite critical system files, configuration files, or log files that could lead to service disruption, privilege escalation, or information disclosure. The attack requires the attacker to have the ability to create or modify Kubernetes manifests that will be processed by podman, making this vulnerability particularly concerning in multi-tenant environments or when podman is used with untrusted manifest files. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.003 for executing commands through container orchestration frameworks and T1490 for data destruction through file overwrites.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-9566 should focus on immediate version upgrades to podman v5.6.1 or later, which includes proper symbolic link validation in volume mount handling. Organizations should implement strict access controls on Kubernetes manifest files and ensure that only trusted users can submit manifests to podman for processing. Additional protective measures include implementing podman security policies that restrict volume mount operations to predefined safe paths, enabling container runtime security monitoring, and conducting regular security audits of Kubernetes manifests. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following principle of least privilege in container orchestration environments and implementing proper input validation for all file system operations within container runtimes. Security teams should monitor for any attempts to exploit this vulnerability through unauthorized manifest file submissions or compromised container orchestration workflows.