Container escape via leaked internal file descriptor
Published Jan 31, 2024 · Updated Aug 24, 2026
Container escape in Open Container Initiative runc 1.1.11 and earlier allows attackers to access the host filesystem via a malicious image. runc init leaks a host /sys/fs/cgroup descriptor and fails to verify after chdir that process.cwd remains inside the container mount namespace. Exploitation requires a malicious image or control of a container process plus a privileged runc run or runc exec action; successful variants read or overwrite host files and can gain full host control.
Summary
What happened
Container escape in Open Container Initiative runc 1.1.11 and earlier allows attackers to access the host filesystem via a malicious image. runc init leaks a host /sys/fs/cgroup descriptor and fails to verify after chdir that process.cwd remains inside the container mount namespace. Exploitation requires a malicious image or control of a container process plus a privileged runc run or runc exec action; successful variants read or overwrite host files and can gain full host control.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-21626
- Published
- Jan 31, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 24, 2026
- Vendor
- Red Hat
- Product
- Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization
- Classifications
- CWE-403, T1611
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 31, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 24, 2026Record 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 versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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