CVE-2025-57852 is a security vulnerability identified in Red Hat OpenShift AI version 2.16, specifically within the KServe ModelMesh container images. The root cause is the incorrect default permissions set on the /etc/passwd file during the container image build process, where the file is created with group-writable permissions. This misconfiguration allows any user who has command execution capabilities inside the container and is a member of the root group to modify the /etc/passwd file. By doing so, the attacker can add new user entries with arbitrary user IDs, including UID 0, which corresponds to the root user. This effectively enables privilege escalation to full root access within the container environment. The vulnerability requires that the attacker already have some level of command execution inside the container and group membership privileges, but does not require user interaction. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.2 (medium severity), reflecting the need for high privileges to exploit and the limited scope of impact to the container itself. No known public exploits have been reported yet. This vulnerability highlights the risks of insecure default file permissions in container images, especially in AI/ML platforms like Red Hat OpenShift AI that rely heavily on containerized workloads. Organizations deploying these containers could face risks of container compromise, potentially leading to lateral movement or data integrity issues within AI model serving environments.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-57852 can be significant in environments where Red Hat OpenShift AI is used to deploy AI/ML workloads. Successful exploitation allows attackers to gain root privileges inside containers, which can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive AI models, data manipulation, or disruption of AI services. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect the host system, compromised containers can be used as footholds for further attacks within the cluster, potentially affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of AI services. This is particularly critical for sectors relying on AI for decision-making, such as finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. Additionally, regulatory requirements such as GDPR impose strict controls on data protection, and container compromise could lead to data breaches with legal and reputational consequences. The medium CVSS score reflects the need for existing elevated privileges to exploit, but the potential for privilege escalation within containers still poses a meaningful risk to container security posture.

To mitigate CVE-2025-57852, organizations should: 1) Apply vendor patches or updates from Red Hat as soon as they become available for OpenShift AI 2.16 and related container images. 2) Audit and harden container image build processes to ensure /etc/passwd and other critical files have secure permissions, avoiding group-writable settings. 3) Restrict group memberships within containers to the minimum necessary, preventing untrusted users from being in the root group. 4) Implement runtime security controls such as container security policies (e.g., OpenShift SCCs) to limit privilege escalation and restrict file system modifications. 5) Use container image scanning tools to detect insecure file permissions before deployment. 6) Monitor container logs and behavior for suspicious modifications to system files like /etc/passwd. 7) Employ network segmentation and least privilege principles to limit attacker movement if a container is compromised. 8) Educate developers and DevOps teams on secure container image creation best practices to prevent similar issues in future builds.