Container root escalation via group-writable passwd
Published Aug 7, 2025 · Updated Aug 25, 2026
Incorrect permissions in Operator SDK before 0.15.2 allow local users in generated operator containers to gain root privileges. The user_setup scaffold changes /etc/passwd to mode 0664 at build time while retaining root-group ownership, making the account database writable by gid 0. Exploitation requires command execution inside an affected container and gid 0 membership, after which /etc/passwd can be altered to add a UID 0 account.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect permissions in Operator SDK before 0.15.2 allow local users in generated operator containers to gain root privileges. The user_setup scaffold changes /etc/passwd to mode 0664 at build time while retaining root-group ownership, making the account database writable by gid 0. Exploitation requires command execution inside an affected container and gid 0 membership, after which /etc/passwd can be altered to add a UID 0 account.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-7195
- Published
- Aug 7, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 25, 2026
- Vendor
- 389 Directory Server
- Product
- Red Hat OpenShift Data Foundation 4.16
- Classifications
- CWE-276, T1098
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 25, 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?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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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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