CVE-2025-9276: cockroach-k8s-request-cert · Empty Password in Configuration File
Affects cockroach-k8s-request-certSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.8 Critical.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 50% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 2 Sep 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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 2026-10-25.
What to do
AI-suggested
Immediate mitigation steps include: 1) Avoid deploying or running the affected 'cockroach-k8s-request-cert:latest' container image until a patched version is released. 2) Implement strict container image provenance and scanning policies to detect this vulnerability in CI/CD pipelines. 3) Manually inspect and enforce non-empty, strong passwords for root or administrative users within container configurations and shadow files before deployment. 4) Employ Kubernetes security best practices such as Pod Security Policies or OPA Gatekeeper policies to prevent containers with insecure configurations from running. 5) Use network segmentation and firewall rules to restrict access to Kubernetes API and container endpoints to trusted entities only. 6) Monitor logs and network traffic for unusual authentication attempts or root-level access patterns. 7) Prepare incident response plans specifically for container and Kubernetes environment breaches. 8) Engage with Cockroach Labs for timely patches and advisories and apply updates promptly once available.
Description
Cockroach Labs cockroach-k8s-request-cert Empty Root Password Authentication Bypass Vulnerability. This vulnerability could allow remote attackers to bypass authentication on systems that use the affected version of the Cockroach Labs cockroach-k8s-request-cert container image. The specific flaw exists within the configuration of the system shadow file. The issue results from a blank password setting for the root user. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to bypass authentication on the system. Was ZDI-CAN-22195.