CVE-2020-1706

Container-root escalation via writable /etc/passwd

Published Mar 9, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Privilege escalation in Red Hat OpenShift APB Tools Container on OpenShift Enterprise 3.11 and 4.1 through 4.3 allows local users to gain root. Startup logic changes /etc/passwd permissions so non-root container users can append an account that resolves to UID 0. Exploitation requires access inside the running container, and OpenShift's default seccomp policy blocks the required SETUID and SETGID calls in unprivileged containers.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.24%
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 APB Tools Container on OpenShift Enterprise 3.11 and 4.1 through 4.3 allows local users to gain root. Startup logic changes /etc/passwd permissions so non-root container users can append an account that resolves to UID 0. Exploitation requires access inside the running container, and OpenShift's default seccomp policy blocks the required SETUID and SETGID calls in unprivileged containers.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-1706
Published
Mar 9, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
OpenShift APB Tools Container
Classifications
CWE-732, T1136.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 9, 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?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=from openshift-enterprise version 4.1 to, including 4.3
  2. Affected versionversion=openshift-enterprise version 3.11

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Red Hat · OpenShift APB Tools Containerversion=from openshift-enterprise version 4.1 to, including 4.3; version=openshift-enterprise version 3.11

Published CVSS scores

7.0Red HatCVSS: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
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1136.001Local Account

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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