CVE-2024-9594

Root access via shared builder SSH password

Published Oct 15, 2024 · Updated Oct 16, 2024

Hard-coded credentials in Kubernetes Image Builder 0.1.37 and earlier allow attackers to gain root access to build VMs. The Nutanix, OVA, QEMU, and raw provider workflows assign the builder SSH account a shared default password instead of a per-build random value. The attacker must reach the VM during image construction and modify it before the account is disabled; only clusters deployed from a modified image inherit the compromise.

CVSS severity6.3
Medium
EPSS probability1.63%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Hard-coded credentials in Kubernetes Image Builder 0.1.37 and earlier allow attackers to gain root access to build VMs. The Nutanix, OVA, QEMU, and raw provider workflows assign the builder SSH account a shared default password instead of a per-build random value. The attacker must reach the VM during image construction and modify it before the account is disabled; only clusters deployed from a modified image inherit the compromise.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-9594
Published
Oct 15, 2024
Updated
Oct 16, 2024
Vendor
Kubernetes
Product
Image Builder
Classifications
CWE-798, CAPEC-395, T1078.001
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 15, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 16, 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=0 <=0.1.37
  2. Affected versionversion=0 <0.1.38

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Kubernetes · Image Builderversion=0 <=0.1.37; version=0 <0.1.38

Published CVSS scores

8.1NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.3KubernetesCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/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.

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-798Use of Hard-coded Credentials
CAPEC-395Bypassing Electronic Locks and Access Controls
T1078.001Default Accounts

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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