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 was 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.
History

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 20:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description 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 was 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.
Title Operator-sdk: privilege escalation due to incorrect permissions of /etc/passwd
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat acm
Redhat advanced Cluster Security
Redhat multicluster Engine
Redhat multicluster Globalhub
Redhat openshift
Redhat openshift Data Foundation
Redhat openshift File Integrity Operator
Weaknesses CWE-276
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:acm:2
cpe:/a:redhat:advanced_cluster_security:4
cpe:/a:redhat:multicluster_engine
cpe:/a:redhat:multicluster_globalhub
cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4
cpe:/a:redhat:openshift_data_foundation:4
cpe:/a:redhat:openshift_file_integrity_operator:1
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat acm
Redhat advanced Cluster Security
Redhat multicluster Engine
Redhat multicluster Globalhub
Redhat openshift
Redhat openshift Data Foundation
Redhat openshift File Integrity Operator
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.2, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: redhat

Published: 2025-08-07T19:05:08.756Z

Updated: 2025-08-07T19:36:47.691Z

Reserved: 2025-07-07T08:45:21.278Z

Link: CVE-2025-7195

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2025-08-07T19:23:17.337Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2025-08-07T19:15:29.367

Modified: 2025-08-07T21:26:37.453

Link: CVE-2025-7195

cve-icon Redhat

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