Root command execution via telnet escape
Published May 31, 2024 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Local privilege escalation in IBM Security Verify Access Docker 10.0.0 through 10.0.6 allows local users to execute commands as root. The setuid-root mesa_cli launches the interactive telnet client without dropping privileges, and telnet's escape command opens a root shell. Any local user inside an affected configuration container can exploit the path; the demonstrated result is root access within that container.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in IBM Security Verify Access Docker 10.0.0 through 10.0.6 allows local users to execute commands as root. The setuid-root mesa_cli launches the interactive telnet client without dropping privileges, and telnet's escape command opens a root shell. Any local user inside an affected configuration container can exploit the path; the demonstrated result is root access within that container.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-35142
- Published
- May 31, 2024
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- IBM
- Product
- IBM Security Verify Access Docker
- Classifications
- CWE-250, T1548.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 31, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.0 <=10.0.6
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
- mesa_cli telnet escape root-shell demonstrationfunctional · demonstrated
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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