CVE-2026-16254 in claircore
Summary
by MITRE • 07/20/2026
A flaw was found in claircore's apk package scanner. Malformed package-database data in a container layer can cause an out-of-bounds access that panics the scanner. If that panic is not recovered, the Clair indexer process can crash, leading to a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2026
The vulnerability resides within claircore's apk package scanner component, which is designed to analyze container layers for security assessments. This flaw represents a critical denial of service condition that can be triggered by malformed package-database data embedded within container layers. The technical implementation of the scanner fails to properly validate input data structures, specifically when processing apk package databases that contain irregular or corrupted entries. When such malformed data is encountered during the scanning process, the system attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated bounds, resulting in an out-of-bounds access condition that fundamentally crashes the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests as a complete service disruption for Clair indexing operations. When the panic occurs due to the out-of-bounds access, it propagates through the application stack without proper error recovery mechanisms, causing the entire Clair indexer process to terminate unexpectedly. This creates a cascading effect where legitimate scanning operations fail, potentially leaving container images unscanned and vulnerable to security threats while the system remains unavailable for further analysis. The vulnerability specifically targets the package database parsing functionality that is essential for identifying installed packages within apk-based container images.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and represents a classic example of memory safety issues in software applications. The attack vector requires an adversary to craft malicious container layers containing specifically malformed package database entries, making it moderately difficult to exploit but potentially devastating when successful. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices that can be addressed through robust error handling and bounds checking mechanisms. Organizations relying on claircore for container image security scanning face significant operational risk if this vulnerability is not addressed promptly.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation before processing package database entries, adding proper panic recovery mechanisms to prevent process termination, and ensuring that the scanner can gracefully handle malformed data without crashing. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unexpected process crashes and establish automated recovery procedures. The fix typically involves adding bounds checking for array access operations, implementing defensive programming practices, and ensuring that error conditions are properly caught and handled rather than allowing them to propagate as unhandled panics. This vulnerability underscores the importance of robust input validation in security tools and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for Network Denial of Service attacks through process termination.