CVE-2026-44210: Kata Containers VM escape via virtiofsd argument injection

CVE-2026-44210 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4 · Published 2026-07-23

Kata Containers, a tool used to run lightweight virtual machines that act like containers, contains a vulnerability in its default configuration. An attacker with the ability to create pods (containers) can bypass security boundaries to access the underlying host server's entire file system. This allows the attacker to read or modify sensitive files on the host, such as passwords and system configurations, potentially leading to a full takeover of the server and other containers running on it.

Technologies: github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers (Go). Vendors: Go.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-44210 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-44210 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-44210?
Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4, published 23 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers (Go) < 0.0.0-20260519062212-ffa59ce3aa78, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.0.0-20260519062212-ffa59ce3aa78.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44210?
Yes. github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers (Go): upgrade to 0.0.0-20260519062212-ffa59ce3aa78 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-44210 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-44210?
Check whether you run github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers (Go) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers (Go): upgrade to 0.0.0-20260519062212-ffa59ce3aa78 or later
    go get github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers@v0.0.0-20260519062212-ffa59ce3aa78

Technical details

Kata Containers versions prior to 3.31.0 are vulnerable to an argument injection flaw (CWE-88) in the virtiofsd process. The default configuration enables the `virtio_fs_extra_args` and `kernel_params` pod annotations without sufficient validation of their values. An attacker with pod creation privileges can use the `virtio_fs_extra_args` annotation to inject `-o source=/`, overriding the shared directory to the host root. When combined with the `kernel_params` annotation to enable the agent debug console, the attacker can mount the host filesystem from within the guest VM. This results in a complete VM escape, allowing unauthorized read/write access to the host's files, including `/etc/shadow`. The issue is resolved in version 3.31.0 by disabling these annotations by default.

Affected products

  • Kata Containers Kata Containers < 3.31.0

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-44210
  • GHSA-rr59-xxvx-96qr
  • GO-2026-5638

Timeline

  • 2026-05-20: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-rr59-xxvx-96qr published
  • 2026-07-23: disclosed: CVE-2026-44210 published to NVD
  • 2026-07-23: patched: Version 3.31.0 released with fix

References

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