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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2023-27561: runc · CVE-2023-27561 is a high-severity

Affects runcSource CVE Database V5

0

Mentioned vulnerabilities

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.0 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 09:15 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.0High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 38% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 3 Mar 2023

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
GitHubopencontainers/runcpkg:github/opencontainers/runcOther threatsAffected
  • <=1.1.4
Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2023-27561, organizations should immediately upgrade runc to a version later than 1.1.4 where the vulnerability is fixed. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, restrict permissions to create and run containers with custom volume mounts to trusted users only. Implement strict access controls and role-based access control (RBAC) policies in container orchestration platforms to limit who can spawn containers and specify volume mounts. Audit and monitor container creation activities for unusual patterns, especially the creation of multiple containers with custom volume mounts. Employ container security tools that can detect privilege escalation attempts and enforce runtime security policies. Regularly review and harden container host configurations, including kernel security settings and filesystem permissions. Integrate vulnerability scanning into CI/CD pipelines to detect vulnerable runc versions before deployment. Finally, educate developers and DevOps teams about the risks of running untrusted container images and the importance of least privilege principles.

Description

CVE-2023-27561 is a high-severity vulnerability in runc (up to version 1.1.4) caused by incorrect access control in the libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go component. It allows an attacker with limited privileges to escalate their privileges by spawning two containers with custom volume-mount configurations and running custom images. This issue is a regression of a previous vulnerability (CVE-2019-19921). Exploitation requires local access with the ability to create containers and does not require user interaction. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially allowing full system compromise. No known exploits are currently in the wild, but the risk remains significant for containerized environments. European organizations using vulnerable runc versions in container orchestration platforms should prioritize patching and restrict container creation permissions.

References

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