CVE-2020-1708Public exploit

Container root escalation via writable passwd file

Published Feb 7, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Incorrect privilege assignment in Red Hat MySQL APB on OpenShift 3.11 and 4.1 through 4.3 allows local users to gain root access. The affected containers set /etc/passwd to mode 0664, letting their non-root runtime user append a UID 0 account to the system account database. Access to a running container is required; exploitation grants root-equivalent control within that container and can compromise its data and availability.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.28%
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 MySQL APB on OpenShift 3.11 and 4.1 through 4.3 allows local users to gain root access. The affected containers set /etc/passwd to mode 0664, letting their non-root runtime user append a UID 0 account to the system account database. Access to a running container is required; exploitation grants root-equivalent control within that container and can compromise its data and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-1708
Published
Feb 7, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
MySQL APB
Classifications
CWE-269, CWE-266, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 7, 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 privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Red Hat · MySQL APBversion=from openshift-enterprise version 4.1 to, including 4.3; version=openshift-enterprise version 3.11

Published CVSS scores

7.0NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.4NISTAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
CWE-266Incorrect Privilege Assignment
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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