CVE-2025-4953 is a vulnerability identified in Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform version 4.12, specifically related to the Podman container engine used during container image builds. The flaw arises from the handling of RUN commands that use the --mount=type=bind option during the podman build process. Normally, data written to these bind mounts during the build should be discarded after the build completes to avoid leaving residual files on the host system. However, due to this vulnerability, files created inside the container during the build persist in the temporary build context directory on the host machine. These files may be created with insecure permissions, making them accessible to unauthorized users or processes on the host. This exposure can lead to confidentiality breaches if sensitive data is written during the build, or integrity issues if malicious files are introduced or modified. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.4, reflecting a network attack vector with high impact on confidentiality and integrity, no privileges required, no user interaction, but with high attack complexity. While no public exploits are known, the nature of the vulnerability means that attackers with network access could potentially retrieve sensitive build artifacts or manipulate build outputs by accessing the temporary directories. The issue affects containerized build environments and DevOps pipelines that rely on Podman within OpenShift, which are commonly used in enterprise and cloud-native deployments. The vulnerability was reserved in May 2025 and published in September 2025, with no patch links currently provided, indicating that remediation may still be pending or in progress.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-4953 can be significant, particularly for those using Red Hat OpenShift 4.12 in production or development environments. The exposure of temporary build files on the host can lead to leakage of sensitive information such as credentials, proprietary code, or configuration files. This can undermine confidentiality and potentially enable further attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. Integrity is also at risk if attackers can modify or inject malicious files into the build context, potentially resulting in compromised container images that propagate through deployment pipelines. Availability is less directly impacted, as the vulnerability does not enable denial-of-service conditions. However, the trustworthiness of container images and the security of CI/CD pipelines may be compromised, leading to operational disruptions. Organizations in Europe with strict data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) may face compliance risks if sensitive data is exposed. The vulnerability's exploitation complexity is high, but the lack of required privileges or user interaction means that attackers with network access could attempt to exploit it remotely. This elevates the risk profile for cloud-hosted OpenShift clusters and multi-tenant environments common in European enterprises.

To mitigate CVE-2025-4953, European organizations should implement several specific measures beyond generic container security best practices. First, restrict access permissions on the host's temporary build context directories to only trusted users and processes, minimizing the risk of unauthorized file access. Second, monitor and audit file creation and access patterns within these temporary directories to detect anomalous activity indicative of exploitation attempts. Third, consider isolating build environments using dedicated build nodes or ephemeral build containers that are destroyed immediately after use, reducing persistent exposure. Fourth, avoid writing sensitive data to RUN --mount=type=bind mounts during builds or use alternative build strategies that do not rely on bind mounts. Fifth, stay vigilant for vendor patches or updates from Red Hat and apply them promptly once available. Additionally, implement network segmentation and strict access controls around build infrastructure to limit attacker reach. Finally, review and harden CI/CD pipeline configurations to ensure no sensitive information is inadvertently exposed during container image builds.