{"id":"CVE-2026-50540","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"Kata Containers: Config Path Annotation Arbitrary File Loading","description":"Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. Prior to version 4.0.0, kata-runtime is vulnerable to host code execution via an unvalidated configuration path annotation. The runtime accepts an arbitrary io.katacontainers.config_path pod annotation and loads the referenced host TOML file without restriction. As a result, a pod user who can place a file at a host-visible path can supply a configuration that selects an attacker-controlled hypervisor or virtio-fs daemon binary, executing code as root on the host. This issue is fixed in version 4.0.0.","publishedAt":"2026-08-07T20:56:26.209Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-24T06:13:27.182Z","severity":{"score":9.6,"label":"Critical","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N","source":"GitHub_M"},"assigner":"GitHub_M","products":["kata-containers kata-containers"],"affected":[{"vendor":"kata-containers","product":"kata-containers","versions":[{"version":"< 4.0.0","status":"affected"}]}],"references":["https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/security/advisories/GHSA-mp2j-xm59-qfgw","https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/commit/03cc670076099530f4e1e9cb22849afdafb20f65","http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/23/3","http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/24/1"],"weaknesses":["CWE-20","CWE-22"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:12:16.098Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/50xxx/CVE-2026-50540.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-50540","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-08-07T20:56:26.209Z","dateUpdated":"2026-08-24T06:13:27.182Z","assignerShortName":"GitHub_M","assignerOrgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateReserved":"2026-06-04T20:37:18.653Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"Kata Containers: Config Path Annotation Arbitrary File Loading","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. Prior to version 4.0.0, kata-runtime is vulnerable to host code execution via an unvalidated configuration path annotation. The runtime accepts an arbitrary io.katacontainers.config_path pod annotation and loads the referenced host TOML file without restriction. As a result, a pod user who can place a file at a host-visible path can supply a configuration that selects an attacker-controlled hypervisor or virtio-fs daemon binary, executing code as root on the host. This issue is fixed in version 4.0.0."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"kata-containers","product":"kata-containers","versions":[{"version":"< 4.0.0","status":"affected"}]}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/security/advisories/GHSA-mp2j-xm59-qfgw","name":"https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/security/advisories/GHSA-mp2j-xm59-qfgw","tags":["x_refsource_CONFIRM"]},{"url":"https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/commit/03cc670076099530f4e1e9cb22849afdafb20f65","name":"https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/commit/03cc670076099530f4e1e9cb22849afdafb20f65","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"attackComplexity":"LOW","attackVector":"NETWORK","availabilityImpact":"NONE","baseScore":9.6,"baseSeverity":"CRITICAL","confidentialityImpact":"HIGH","integrityImpact":"HIGH","privilegesRequired":"LOW","scope":"CHANGED","userInteraction":"NONE","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N","version":"3.1"}}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-20","lang":"en","description":"CWE-20: Improper Input Validation","type":"CWE"}]},{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-22","lang":"en","description":"CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"GitHub_M","orgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateUpdated":"2026-08-07T20:56:26.209Z"},"source":{"advisory":"GHSA-mp2j-xm59-qfgw","discovery":"UNKNOWN"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"timestamp":"2026-08-12T22:09:40.538007Z","id":"CVE-2026-50540","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"no"},{"Technical Impact":"total"}],"role":"CISA Coordinator","version":"2.0.3"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-08-12T22:15:26.669Z"}},{"title":"CVE Program Container","references":[{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/23/3"},{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/24/1"}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CVE","orgId":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108","dateUpdated":"2026-08-24T06:13:27.182Z"}}]}}}