CVE-2025-7195 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting early versions of the Operator-SDK used by Red Hat's File Integrity Operator. The root cause lies in an insecure script, user_setup, included in Operator-SDK versions prior to 0.15.2. This script modifies the permissions of the /etc/passwd file during container image build time, setting it to 664 with group ownership assigned to root (gid=0). This permission configuration is problematic because it makes the /etc/passwd file group-writable by the root group. In container environments where operators run with random UIDs, this setup can be exploited by an attacker who gains command execution within the container, even if they are a non-root user. Since the attacker is effectively part of the root group, they can modify the /etc/passwd file to add new users with arbitrary UIDs, including UID 0, which corresponds to root privileges. This escalation leads to full root access within the container, compromising the container's integrity and potentially enabling further lateral movement or privilege escalation within the host or cluster environment. The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require the attacker to have some level of command execution within the container, which may be obtained through other vulnerabilities or misconfigurations. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.2 (medium), reflecting the local attack vector, high attack complexity, and requirement for high privileges to exploit, with impacts primarily on integrity and some on availability and confidentiality. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability remains a significant risk for environments using affected Operator-SDK versions to build container images for the File Integrity Operator.

For European organizations, especially those leveraging Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift environments, this vulnerability poses a risk of container-level privilege escalation. Attackers who gain limited access to affected containers could escalate privileges to root within the container, potentially allowing them to manipulate container processes, access sensitive data, or disrupt container operations. This could lead to compromised application integrity, unauthorized data access, and service disruptions. In regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, such breaches could result in compliance violations under GDPR and other regulations, leading to legal and financial repercussions. Additionally, compromised containers could serve as footholds for further attacks within the cluster or cloud environment, amplifying the impact. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in multi-tenant or shared environments common in European cloud deployments, where container isolation is critical. Organizations relying on automated container builds using older Operator-SDK versions are at higher risk, especially if they have not audited or updated their container build pipelines. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but should not lead to complacency given the potential for privilege escalation and the widespread use of Red Hat technologies in Europe.

1. Upgrade Operator-SDK to version 0.15.2 or later to eliminate the use of the insecure user_setup script and ensure proper file permission handling during container builds. 2. Audit existing container images built with earlier Operator-SDK versions to identify and rebuild any images that may contain the vulnerable /etc/passwd permissions. 3. Implement strict container runtime security policies that restrict group membership and file permission modifications within containers, leveraging Kubernetes Pod Security Policies or OpenShift Security Context Constraints. 4. Employ runtime security monitoring and anomaly detection to identify unusual modifications to critical files like /etc/passwd within containers. 5. Limit the ability of users and processes to execute arbitrary commands inside containers, minimizing the attack surface for privilege escalation. 6. Regularly review and harden container build pipelines to prevent inclusion of insecure scripts or configurations. 7. Apply the principle of least privilege to container processes and avoid running containers with unnecessary group memberships or elevated privileges. 8. Stay informed on Red Hat advisories and apply patches promptly when available. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on build-time security hygiene, runtime enforcement, and proactive auditing specific to this vulnerability's mechanism.