CVE-2022-4123 is a vulnerability identified in Podman version 4.3.0, related to a flaw originally found in Buildah, which Podman leverages for container image building and management. The issue is classified under CWE-23 (Relative Path Traversal) and CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), indicating that the vulnerability arises from improper handling of file paths. Specifically, the flaw allows an attacker with local privileges and limited user interaction (no UI required) to cause disclosure of local filesystem paths, including the absolute path and the lowest subdirectory involved in the container build process. This path traversal vulnerability does not allow modification or deletion of files (no integrity or availability impact), but it compromises confidentiality by revealing potentially sensitive directory structures or file locations on the host system. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 3.3, categorized as low severity, reflecting the limited scope and impact. Exploitation requires local access with at least low privileges, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond the attacker’s own actions on the system. Since Podman is widely used as a daemonless container engine alternative to Docker, particularly in Linux environments, this vulnerability could be relevant to organizations using containerized workflows and development pipelines that incorporate Podman 4.3.0. The disclosure of local paths could aid attackers in reconnaissance or facilitate further attacks by revealing directory structures or sensitive build environment details.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-4123 is a confidentiality breach at the local system level. While the vulnerability does not directly allow code execution or system compromise, the exposure of absolute paths and directory structures can provide attackers with valuable information for lateral movement, privilege escalation, or targeted attacks within containerized environments. Organizations heavily reliant on containerization for development, testing, or production workloads—especially those using Podman 4.3.0—may face increased risk of information leakage. This could be particularly sensitive in sectors such as finance, healthcare, or critical infrastructure, where container environments might host proprietary or regulated data. However, the requirement for local access and limited privileges reduces the likelihood of remote exploitation, limiting the threat primarily to insider threats or attackers who have already gained some foothold. The absence of known exploits in the wild further reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for remediation. Confidentiality impacts could also affect compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR if sensitive information is inadvertently exposed through path disclosures.

To mitigate CVE-2022-4123, European organizations should: 1) Upgrade Podman installations to versions later than 4.3.0 where the vulnerability is patched or apply vendor-provided patches as soon as they become available. 2) Restrict local access to systems running Podman to trusted users only, enforcing strict access controls and monitoring for unauthorized local logins or privilege escalations. 3) Implement container build environment hardening by isolating build processes in minimal privilege containers or sandboxed environments to limit the impact of any path disclosures. 4) Audit and sanitize any scripts or automation that interact with Podman or Buildah to ensure they do not expose sensitive path information in logs or error messages. 5) Employ host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to detect unusual file access patterns or attempts to enumerate filesystem paths. 6) Educate developers and system administrators on the risks of path traversal vulnerabilities and encourage secure coding and configuration practices in container workflows. 7) Regularly review and update container runtime configurations to minimize exposure of host filesystem details to containerized processes.