CVE-2020-1705

Root privilege escalation via writable passwd file

Published Mar 19, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Incorrect privilege assignment in Red Hat Template Service Broker Operator before 4.3.0 allows local users to gain root privileges. The container image makes /etc/passwd group-writable, so a process with container access can append a UID 0 account and switch to it. Exploitation requires code execution inside the container, and the default restricted security context blocks the required identity-change system calls.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect privilege assignment in Red Hat Template Service Broker Operator before 4.3.0 allows local users to gain root privileges. The container image makes /etc/passwd group-writable, so a process with container access can append a UID 0 account and switch to it. Exploitation requires code execution inside the container, and the default restricted security context blocks the required identity-change system calls.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-1705
Published
Mar 19, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
Template Service Broker Operator
Classifications
CWE-266, CWE-732, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 19, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 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?

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  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Red Hat · Template Service Broker Operatorversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

4.4National Institute of Standards and TechnologyAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.0National Institute of Standards and TechnologyCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0Red Hat, Inc.CVSS: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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-266Incorrect Privilege Assignment
CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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