CVE-2019-19353Public exploit

Container root escalation via group-writable passwd file

Published Mar 24, 2021 · Updated Aug 5, 2024

Privilege escalation in Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 allows local users in the Hive container to gain container-root access. The image makes /etc/passwd group-writable while OpenShift assigns arbitrary container users to the root group, allowing a user to append a UID 0 account. Container command access is required, and the default restricted SCC blocks SETUID and SETGID, limiting exploitation unless those controls are relaxed.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.33%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 allows local users in the Hive container to gain container-root access. The image makes /etc/passwd group-writable while OpenShift assigns arbitrary container users to the root group, allowing a user to append a UID 0 account. Container command access is required, and the default restricted SCC blocks SETUID and SETGID, limiting exploitation unless those controls are relaxed.

The record

CVE
CVE-2019-19353
Published
Mar 24, 2021
Updated
Aug 5, 2024
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform
Classifications
CWE-266, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 24, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=as shipped in Red Hat Openshift 4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Red Hat · Red Hat OpenShift Container Platformversion=as shipped in Red Hat Openshift 4

Published CVSS scores

6.9NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.0NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-266Incorrect Privilege Assignment for Critical Resource
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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