HIGH CVSS 8.8
Published: 2020-12-07

CVE-2020-27151

katacontainers kata_containers Security Advisory (CVE-2020-27151)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-27151 impacting katacontainers kata_containers. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
An issue was discovered in Kata Containers through 1.11.3 and 2.x through 2.0-rc1. The runtime will execute binaries given using annotations without any kind of validation. Someone who is granted access rights to a cluster will be able to have kata-runtime execute arbitrary binaries as root on the worker nodes.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product katacontainers / kata_containers
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration NVD-CWE-noinfo

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2020-27151 impacting katacontainers kata_containers.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-27151.yaml
id: cve-2020-27151

info:
  name: katacontainers kata_containers - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-27151 affecting katacontainers kata_containers.
    Evaluation: An issue was discovered in Kata Containers through 1.11.3 and 2.x through 2.0-rc1. The runtime will execute binaries given using annotations without a...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-27151
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 8.8
    cve-id: CVE-2020-27151
    cwe-id: NVD-CWE-noinfo
  tags: cve,cve-2020-27151,katacontainers,kata_containers,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "kata_containers"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-27151.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-27151
# Target: katacontainers kata_containers | CVSS: 8.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2020-27151 (katacontainers kata_containers)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against katacontainers kata_containers scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2020-27151.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-27151
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install kata_containers 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade kata_containers 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update kata_containers

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i kata_containers 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i kata_containers

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2020-27151 in katacontainers kata_containers?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update katacontainers kata_containers packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2020-27151?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2020-27151?

CVE-2020-27151 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2020-27151
Weakness NVD-CWE-noinfo
Vendor katacontainers
Product kata_containers
Published 2020-12-07
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H