CVE-2020-10696 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A path traversal flaw in Buildah before version 1.14.5 allows attackers to manipulate container images to write files on the user's system.

Understanding CVE-2020-10696

Buildah vulnerability impacting Red Hat containers.

What is CVE-2020-10696?

Buildah versions prior to 1.14.5 are susceptible to a path traversal flaw, enabling attackers to deceive users into creating malicious container images that can write files to the user's system.

The Impact of CVE-2020-10696

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 8.8 (High severity) with significant impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-10696

Details of the vulnerability in Buildah.

Vulnerability Description

A path traversal flaw in Buildah versions before 1.14.5 allows attackers to manipulate container images to write files on the user's system.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Buildah
Vendor: Red Hat
Versions affected: Buildah versions before 1.14.5

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can trick users into building malicious container images hosted on an HTTP(s) server, exploiting the path traversal flaw to write files to the user's system.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-10696.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Buildah to version 1.14.5 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Avoid building container images from untrusted sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update container images and software components.
Implement secure coding practices to prevent path traversal vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates promptly to address security vulnerabilities in Buildah.