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CVE-2024-40635 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in containerd affecting versions prior to 1.6.38, 1.7.27, and 2.0.4. The flaw is caused by incorrect handling of container image USER directives specified as numeric UID:GID values that exceed the maximum 32-bit signed integer. In affected versions, a numeric user value that cannot be parsed as a 32-bit integer is incorrectly treated as a username rather than rejected or handled as an invalid numeric identifier. If a crafted container image also supplies a passwd mapping that resolves that oversized numeric string to the root account, the container can start as UID 0. This behavior can bypass non-root execution expectations, including Kubernetes runAsNonRoot enforcement in affected environments, and causes containers intended to run as an unprivileged user to execute as root inside the container.
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1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.
This repository provides a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2024-40635, a vulnerability in containerd (prior to 1.6.38) where containers started with a UID:GID exceeding the 32-bit signed integer range may be mapped to root (0:0), resulting in privilege escalation. The repository contains two files: a detailed README.md explaining the vulnerability, testing methodology, and mitigation steps, and a Python script (poc.py) that uses the Docker Python SDK to create a container with a high UID:GID and checks if it is running as root. The PoC is intended for use in controlled environments and can be adapted for Kubernetes and Harbor-based workflows. No hardcoded network endpoints are present, but several file/image names and registry paths are referenced for testing. The exploit is a detection PoC and does not provide weaponized payloads.
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Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
4 sources tracked across advisories and community write-ups. News coverage will land here when it surfaces.
No news coverage yet. Advisories and community discussion only.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
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YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.