CVE-2023-38496

Apptainer's ineffective privileges drop when requesting container network

Description

Apptainer is an open source container platform. Version 1.2.0-rc.2 introduced an ineffective privilege drop when requesting container network setup, therefore subsequent functions are called with root privileges, the attack surface is rather limited for users but an attacker could possibly craft a starter config to delete any directory on the host filesystems. A security fix has been included in Apptainer 1.2.1. There is no known workaround outside of upgrading to Apptainer 1.2.1.

Category

6.1
CVSS
Severity: Medium
CVSS 3.1 •
EPSS 0.06%
Vendor Advisory github.com
Affected: apptainer apptainer
Published at:
Updated at:

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2023-38496?
CVE-2023-38496 has been scored as a medium severity vulnerability.
How to fix CVE-2023-38496?
To fix CVE-2023-38496, 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-2023-38496 being actively exploited in the wild?
As for now, there are no information to confirm that CVE-2023-38496 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-2023-38496?
CVE-2023-38496 affects apptainer apptainer.
This platform uses data from the NIST NVD, MITRE CVE, MITRE CWE, First.org and CISA KEV but is not endorsed or certified by these entities. CVE is a registred trademark of the MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CVE content is MITRE's CVE web site. CWE is a registred trademark of the MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CWE content is MITRE's CWE web site.
© 2025 Under My Watch. All Rights Reserved.