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CVE Record

CVE-2025-7195: Operator-sdk: privilege escalation due to incorrect permissions of /etc/passwd

Early versions of Operator-SDK provided an insecure method to allow operator containers to run in environments that used a random UID. Operator-SDK before 0.15.2 provided a script, user_setup, which modifies the permissions of the /etc/passwd file to 664 during build time. Developers who used Operator-SDK before 0.15.2 to scaffold their operator may still be impacted by this if the insecure user_setup script is still being used to build new container images. In affected images, the /etc/passwd file is created during build time with group-writable permissions and a group ownership of root (gid=0). An attacker who can execute commands within an affected container, even as a non-root user, may be able to leverage their membership in the root group to modify the /etc/passwd file. This could allow the attacker to add a new user with any arbitrary UID, including UID 0, leading to full root privileges within the container.

MediumCVSS 6.4Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This issue affects container images built from older Operator-SDK scaffolding that left /etc/passwd group-writable. If an attacker already has command execution inside an affected container, they may be able to become root inside that container. It is not a remote entry point by itself.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted remediation item for Kubernetes platform teams, not an internet-wide emergency. Prioritize affected Red Hat packages and internally built operator images because successful abuse can turn container access into root inside the container.

Technical view

Operator-SDK before 0.15.2 included a user_setup script that changed /etc/passwd to mode 664 with gid 0 ownership. In affected images, a non-root process in the root group could modify /etc/passwd and create an arbitrary UID, including UID 0, producing container-local root privileges.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely in Kubernetes operator images originally scaffolded with Operator-SDK before 0.15.2 and still built with the insecure user_setup script. The source bundle also lists affected Red Hat CNV and multicluster engine container packages and versions.

Exploitation context

The CVSS vector is local, high complexity, and high privileges required. Sources do not show KEV listing or active exploitation. The attacker must already be able to execute commands inside an affected container, so this is mainly a post-compromise privilege escalation risk.

Researcher notes

Evidence supports container-local privilege escalation through incorrect /etc/passwd permissions. The source bundle does not establish host escape, remote exploitation, public exploit activity, or complete remediation details beyond vendor advisories and removal of the insecure build behavior.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply relevant Red Hat RHSA or RHEA updates for listed affected products.
  • Rebuild affected operator images without the insecure Operator-SDK user_setup behavior.
  • Check vendor guidance before assuming fixed package versions or backported behavior.
  • Prevent unnecessary command execution paths into operator containers.
  • Review container security context and avoid unnecessary root-group membership where possible.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory operator images scaffolded with Operator-SDK before 0.15.2.
  • Inspect image builds for continued use of the user_setup script.
  • Verify /etc/passwd is not group-writable in running and built images.
  • Map deployed Red Hat CNV and multicluster engine versions to listed affected packages.
  • Confirm remediation by retesting rebuilt images and updated vendor packages.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
12

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-276: Exact CWE lookup

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description · low confidence lookup

Privilege behavior lookup

The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

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description · low confidence lookup

Container behavior lookup

The affected technology mentions containers, so container-specific ATT&CK technique review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

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CVE-2025-7195 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
6.4 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
5Timeline events
1ADP providers
27Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: partial

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
6.4CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H0.55.9redhat

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

6.4Medium
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-7195Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. Source timelineredhat

    Reported to Red Hat.

  2. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  3. Source timelineredhat

    Made public.

  4. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  5. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
operator-frameworkoperator-sdkoperator-sdk, 0unaffected
Red HatRHEL-9-CNV-4.17container-native-virtualization/cluster-network-addons-operator-rhel9, v4.17.39-2affected
Red HatRHEL-9-CNV-4.18container-native-virtualization/cluster-network-addons-operator-rhel9, v4.18.25-3affected
Red HatRHEL-9-CNV-4.20container-native-virtualization/cluster-network-addons-operator-rhel9, v4.20.3-3affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.6multicluster-engine/addon-manager-rhel9, v2.6affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.6multicluster-engine/clusterlifecycle-state-metrics-rhel9, v2.6affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.6multicluster-engine/discovery-rhel9, v2.6affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.6multicluster-engine/placement-rhel9, v2.6affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.6multicluster-engine/registration-operator-rhel9, v2.6affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.6multicluster-engine/registration-rhel9, v2.6affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.6multicluster-engine/work-rhel9, v2.6affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/addon-manager-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/clusterlifecycle-state-metrics-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/discovery-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/managedcluster-import-controller-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/placement-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/registration-operator-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/registration-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/work-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/addon-manager-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/clusterlifecycle-state-metrics-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/discovery-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/managedcluster-import-controller-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/placement-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/registration-operator-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/registration-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7multicluster-engine/work-rhel9, v2.7affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.8multicluster-engine/addon-manager-rhel9, 1765872406affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.8multicluster-engine/clusterlifecycle-state-metrics-rhel9, 1766360304affected
Red Hatmulticluster engine for Kubernetes 2.8multicluster-engine/discovery-rhel9, 1765669648affected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-276

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-276 · source CWE mapping

Incorrect Default Permissions

Incorrect Default Permissions represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.

Open CWE intelligenceSame-CWE CVEs