CVE-2024-6174

Root compromise via unauthenticated link-local metadata

Published Jun 26, 2025 · Updated Jun 26, 2025

Improper authentication in Canonical cloud-init before 25.1.3 allows adjacent-network attackers to gain root access on non-x86 systems. The ds-identify default policy treats unconfirmed datasources as candidates, causing cloud-init to trust configuration from link-local metadata addresses without strict kernel, DMI, or system-configuration evidence. Exposure requires a non-x86 host without strict datasource-identification artifacts and an attacker able to answer its local-network metadata request; supplied configuration then executes with root authority.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper authentication in Canonical cloud-init before 25.1.3 allows adjacent-network attackers to gain root access on non-x86 systems. The ds-identify default policy treats unconfirmed datasources as candidates, causing cloud-init to trust configuration from link-local metadata addresses without strict kernel, DMI, or system-configuration evidence. Exposure requires a non-x86 host without strict datasource-identification artifacts and an attacker able to answer its local-network metadata request; supplied configuration then executes with root authority.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-6174
Published
Jun 26, 2025
Updated
Jun 26, 2025
Vendor
Canonical
Product
cloud-init
Classifications
CWE-287
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 26, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=0.7.9 <25.1.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Canonical · cloud-initversion=0.7.9 <25.1.3

Published CVSS scores

8.8CanonicalCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/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)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-287Improper Authentication

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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