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CVE Record

CVE-2025-9566: Podman: podman kube play command may overwrite host files

There's a vulnerability in podman where an attacker may use the kube play command to overwrite host files when the kube file container a Secrete or a ConfigMap volume mount and such volume contains a symbolic link to a host file path. In a successful attack, the attacker can only control the target file to be overwritten but not the content to be written into the file. Binary-Affected: podman Upstream-version-introduced: v4.0.0 Upstream-version-fixed: v5.6.1

HighCVSS 8.1Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

Podman can overwrite files on the host when podman kube play handles certain Secret or ConfigMap volume mounts containing symlinks. An attacker cannot choose the replacement content, but can choose which host file is overwritten. That creates meaningful integrity and availability risk on hosts or pipelines that process untrusted Kubernetes YAML.

Executive priority

Prioritize remediation for build systems, container hosts, and automation paths that process Kubernetes YAML from users or external repositories. This is not confirmed exploited, but the impact can disrupt host integrity or availability.

Technical view

CVE-2025-9566 is a CWE-22 flaw in podman kube play, introduced upstream in v4.0.0 and fixed in v5.6.1. The issue involves Secret or ConfigMap volume mounts containing symbolic links to host paths. Red Hat lists multiple affected RHEL and OpenShift-related packages.

Likely exposure

Exposure is highest where users, automation, or CI/CD systems run podman kube play against manifests from less-trusted sources. Red Hat lists affected podman packages across RHEL 8, RHEL 9, RHEL 10, and OpenShift Container Platform 4.12 related packages.

Exploitation context

The bundle rates this CVSS 8.1 with low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, and high integrity and availability impact. KEV is false, and the supplied sources do not show confirmed active exploitation.

Researcher notes

The source evidence is strong for affected versions and high-level behavior, but incomplete for exploit prevalence and detailed fixed-package mapping. Avoid assuming content control: the bundle says the attacker controls the target file, not the written content.

Mitigation direction

  • Update Podman to upstream v5.6.1 or vendor-fixed packages.
  • Apply relevant Red Hat RHSA or RHBA advisories for affected platforms.
  • Restrict who can submit manifests to podman kube play workflows.
  • Avoid processing untrusted Kubernetes YAML with podman kube play.
  • Check vendor guidance for platform-specific fixes and constraints.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Podman versions and compare against v5.6.1 fixed upstream version.
  • Check Red Hat package versions against listed affected advisories.
  • Identify automation that runs podman kube play on external manifests.
  • Review Secret and ConfigMap mounts for unexpected symlink content.
  • Verify patched hosts no longer run affected package builds.
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 · medium confidence lookup

CWE-22: File access and web shell behavior lookup

File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK 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 · low confidence lookup

CVE-2025-9566 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
High
CVSS
8.1 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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
33Source 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
8.1CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H2.85.2redhat

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

8.1High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-9566Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. Source timelineredhat

    Made public.

  3. Source timelineredhat

    Reported to Red Hat.

  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
Unknown vendorpodmanpodman, 4.0.0unaffected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 10podman, 6:5.4.0-13.el10_0affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 10podman, 7:5.6.0-5.el10_1affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 10podman, 7:5.8.0-2.el10affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8container-tools:rhel8, 8100020250911075811.afee755daffected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Supportcontainer-tools:rhel8, 8060020250919150821.3b538bd8affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Telecommunications Update Servicecontainer-tools:rhel8, 8060020250919150821.3b538bd8affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Update Services for SAP Solutionscontainer-tools:rhel8, 8060020250919150821.3b538bd8affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Telecommunications Update Servicecontainer-tools:rhel8, 8080020250919060528.0f77c1b7affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Update Services for SAP Solutionscontainer-tools:rhel8, 8080020250919060528.0f77c1b7affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9podman, 5:5.4.0-13.el9_6affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9podman, 6:5.6.0-6.el9_7affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9podman, 6:5.8.0-1.el9affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Update Services for SAP Solutionspodman, 2:4.2.0-6.el9_0.5affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Update Services for SAP Solutionspodman, 2:4.4.1-22.el9_2.4affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9.4 Extended Update Supportpodman, 4:4.9.4-18.el9_4.3affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.12kernel, 0:4.18.0-372.164.1.el8_6affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.12kernel-rt, 0:4.18.0-372.164.1.rt7.325.el8_6affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.12podman, 3:4.2.0-15.rhaos4.12.el9affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.12rhcos, 412.86.202510291903-0affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.13rhcos, 413.92.202510150118-0affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.14kernel, 0:5.14.0-284.138.1.el9_2affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.14kernel-rt, 0:5.14.0-284.138.1.rt14.423.el9_2affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.14podman, 3:4.4.1-23.rhaos4.14.el8affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.14rhcos, 414.92.202510211419-0affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.15kernel, 0:5.14.0-284.138.1.el9_2affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.15kernel-rt, 0:5.14.0-284.138.1.rt14.423.el9_2affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.15podman, 3:4.4.1-35.rhaos4.15.el8affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.16container-selinux, 4:2.237.0-2.rhaos4.16.el9affected
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.16openshift, 0:4.16.0-202509111927.p2.gf3d9123.assembly.stream.el8affected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-22

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

CWE-22 · source CWE mapping

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.

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