CVE-2020-26278

Weave Net Pods running in host PID namespace can be used to escalate other Kubernetes vulnerabilities

Description

Weave Net is open source software which creates a virtual network that connects Docker containers across multiple hosts and enables their automatic discovery. Weave Net before version 2.8.0 has a vulnerability in which can allow an attacker to take over any host in the cluster. Weave Net is supplied with a manifest that runs pods on every node in a Kubernetes cluster, which are responsible for managing network connections for all other pods in the cluster. This requires a lot of power over the host, and the manifest sets `privileged: true`, which gives it that power. It also set `hostPID: true`, which gave it the ability to access all other processes on the host, and write anywhere in the root filesystem of the host. This setting was not necessary, and is being removed. You are only vulnerable if you have an additional vulnerability (e.g. a bug in Kubernetes) or misconfiguration that allows an attacker to run code inside the Weave Net pod, No such bug is known at the time of release, and there are no known instances of this being exploited. Weave Net 2.8.0 removes the hostPID setting and moves CNI plugin install to an init container. Users who do not update to 2.8.0 can edit the hostPID line in their existing DaemonSet manifest to say false instead of true, arrange some other way to install CNI plugins (e.g. Ansible) and remove those mounts from the DaemonSet manifest.

Category

5.8
CVSS
Severity: Medium
CVSS 3.1 •
CVSS 2.0 •
EPSS 0.16%
Third-Party Advisory github.com Third-Party Advisory github.com Third-Party Advisory github.com Third-Party Advisory github.com
Affected: weaveworks weave
Published at:
Updated at:

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2020-26278?
CVE-2020-26278 has been scored as a medium severity vulnerability.
How to fix CVE-2020-26278?
To fix CVE-2020-26278, make sure you are using an up-to-date version of the affected component(s) by checking the vendor release notes. As for now, there are no other specific guidelines available.
Is CVE-2020-26278 being actively exploited in the wild?
As for now, there are no information to confirm that CVE-2020-26278 is being actively exploited. According to its EPSS score, there is a ~0% probability that this vulnerability will be exploited by malicious actors in the next 30 days.
What software or system is affected by CVE-2020-26278?
CVE-2020-26278 affects weaveworks weave.
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