CVE-2021-3101 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Hotdog container running on Amazon Web Services with versions less than 1.0.1 is vulnerable, allowing a container to gain full privileges on the host. Learn about the impact, technical details, and mitigation steps.

Understanding CVE-2021-3101

This vulnerability affects Hotdog container escape on Amazon Web Services prior to version 1.0.1, potentially leading to unauthorized privilege escalation.

What is CVE-2021-3101?

Hotdog container prior to v1.0.1 fails to replicate the capabilities or the SELinux label of the target JVM process, enabling a container to acquire complete privileges on the host and bypass any constraints set on the container.

The Impact of CVE-2021-3101

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 8.8, indicating a high severity level. With a low attack complexity and local attack vector, an attacker can exploit the vulnerability to achieve high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and system availability.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-3101

This section covers a description of the vulnerability, affected systems and versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

Hotdog container, before version 1.0.1, lacks the ability to mimic the capabilities or SELinux label of the target JVM process. This allows an attacker to escalate privileges on the host system.

Affected Systems and Versions

Hotdog container versions less than 1.0.1 running on Amazon Web Services are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

By leveraging the lack of proper SELinux replication, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain full privileges on the host, circumventing container restrictions.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the immediate steps to address the vulnerability, establish long-term security practices, and apply necessary patches and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Hotdog container to version 1.0.1 or above to mitigate the security risk.
Implement SELinux properly to restrict container privileges on the host system.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor security advisories and updates from Hotdog and Amazon Web Services.
Conduct routine security assessments to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security patches released by Hotdog and AWS. Apply patches promptly to ensure your systems are protected against potential attacks.