Executive brief
containerd is a core component used to run and manage containers in environments like Kubernetes. A vulnerability in its checkpoint restoration process allows an attacker to use a specially crafted container image to trick the system into reading sensitive files from the underlying host server. This could lead to the exposure of confidential system data or credentials through standard logging commands like 'kubectl logs'.
Technical details
A symlink following vulnerability (CWE-61) exists in the containerd CRI plugin during the restoration of container logs from a checkpoint image. The plugin fails to validate the path of 'container.log' within the checkpoint, allowing it to be a symbolic link pointing to an arbitrary file on the host filesystem. An attacker who can provide a malicious checkpoint image can exploit this to read sensitive host files when a user or automated system invokes log retrieval commands (e.g., 'kubectl logs'). The issue is local in nature as it requires the ability to influence the checkpoint/image used by the runtime. Patches are available in versions 2.3.2, 2.2.5, and 2.1.9.
Affected products
- containerd containerd >= 2.1.0, < 2.1.9; >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.5; >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.2
Timeline
- 2026-06-18: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
- 2026-07-01: disclosed: NVD publication date