CVE-2021-30465

Container escape via mount-target symlink exchange

Published May 27, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Directory traversal in Open Container Initiative runc 1.0.0-rc94 and earlier allows attackers to escape a container and access host files. During container startup, runc sanitizes a mount destination before use, but a second container can exchange that checked path for a symlink, causing later mounts to resolve a host path and bind-mount the host root into the container. Exploitation requires permission to start containers, malicious code in a container sharing the volume, and a specific multi-mount configuration; confinement can limit resulting host data access and modification but does not block the breakout.

CVSS severity7.6
High
EPSS probability6.60%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Directory traversal in Open Container Initiative runc 1.0.0-rc94 and earlier allows attackers to escape a container and access host files. During container startup, runc sanitizes a mount destination before use, but a second container can exchange that checked path for a symlink, causing later mounts to resolve a host path and bind-mount the host root into the container. Exploitation requires permission to start containers, malicious code in a container sharing the volume, and a specific multi-mount configuration; confinement can limit resulting host data access and modification but does not block the breakout.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-30465
Published
May 27, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-367, T1611
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 27, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

8.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.5Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.6GitHub Security AdvisoryCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N
6.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-367Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
T1611Escape to Host

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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