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NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

CVE-2021-20206: An improper limitation of path name flaw was found in containernetworking/cni in versions before 0.8.1.

HighCVSS 7.2 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 28/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 1.5% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 74.9% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. Administrator privileges are required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: buildah (Alpine:v3.14) 1.19.4-r0; golang-github-appc-cni (Debian:12) 0.8.1-1; github.com/containernetworking/cni (Go) 0.8.1.
  • Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Low priority for now. Upgrade to buildah (Alpine:v3.14) 1.19.4-r0; golang-github-appc-cni (Debian:12) 0.8.1-1; github.com/containernetworking/cni (Go) 0.8.1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

An improper limitation of path name flaw was found in containernetworking/cni in versions before 0.8.1. When specifying the plugin to load in the 'type' field in the network configuration, it is possible to use special elements such as "../" separators to reference binaries elsewhere on the system. This flaw allows an attacker to execute other existing binaries other than the cni plugins/types, such as 'reboot'. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality, integrity, as well as system availability.

Published
Mar 26, 2021
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
1.5% · 74th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

28

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
28 / 40 · 7.2 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 1.5%

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxfoundationcontainer network interface

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (redhat). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • n/a containernetworking-cni

    • containernetworking/cni 0.8.1affected

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linuxfoundation container network interfacebefore 0.8.1

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Alpine:v3.14buildahbefore 1.19.4-r01.19.4-r0
Debian:12golang-github-appc-cnibefore 0.8.1-10.8.1-1
Gogithub.com/containernetworking/cnibefore 0.8.10.8.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.3buildahbefore 1.23.1-150300.8.3.11.23.1-150300.8.3.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.3buildahbefore 1.27.1-150300.8.11.11.27.1-150300.8.11.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.4buildahbefore 1.27.1-150400.3.8.11.27.1-150400.3.8.1
openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.2cnibefore 0.7.1-150100.3.8.10.7.1-150100.3.8.1
openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.2cni-pluginsbefore 0.8.6-150100.3.11.10.8.6-150100.3.11.1
openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.2libgpg-errorbefore 1.42-150300.9.3.11.42-150300.9.3.1
openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.2podmanbefore 4.3.1-150300.9.15.14.3.1-150300.9.15.1
openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.3podmanbefore 4.3.1-150400.4.11.14.3.1-150400.4.11.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedbuildahbefore 1.23.0-1.11.23.0-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedcnibefore 1.0.1-3.11.0.1-3.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedcni-pluginsbefore 1.1.1-2.11.1.1-2.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpodmanbefore 4.2.0-2.14.2.0-2.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-ESPOSbuildahbefore 1.25.1-150100.3.13.121.25.1-150100.3.13.12
SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-ESPOSpodmanbefore 4.3.1-150300.9.15.14.3.1-150300.9.15.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3cnibefore 0.7.1-150100.3.8.10.7.1-150100.3.8.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3cni-pluginsbefore 0.8.6-150100.3.11.10.8.6-150100.3.11.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3podmanbefore 4.3.1-150400.4.11.14.3.1-150400.4.11.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3libgpg-errorbefore 1.42-150300.9.3.11.42-150300.9.3.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP3buildahbefore 1.23.1-150300.8.3.11.23.1-150300.8.3.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP3buildahbefore 1.27.1-150300.8.11.11.27.1-150300.8.11.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP4buildahbefore 1.27.1-150400.3.8.11.27.1-150400.3.8.1

+2

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
alpine:buildah1.19.4-r0 · Alpine:v3.14Package registry (OSV)
debian:golang-github-appc-cni0.8.1-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
Go:github.com/containernetworking/cni0.8.1Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:buildah1.27.1-150400.3.8.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.4Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cni0.7.1-150100.3.8.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cni-plugins0.8.6-150100.3.11.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:libgpg-error1.42-150300.9.3.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:podman4.3.1-150400.4.11.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.3Package registry (OSV)
suse:buildah1.23.1-150300.8.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP3Package registry (OSV)
suse:buildah1.27.1-150400.3.8.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP4Package registry (OSV)
suse:cni0.7.1-150000.1.7.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15Package registry (OSV)
suse:cni0.7.1-150100.3.8.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3Package registry (OSV)
suse:cni-plugins0.8.6-150000.1.7.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15Package registry (OSV)
suse:cni-plugins0.8.6-150100.3.11.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3Package registry (OSV)
suse:libgpg-error1.42-150300.9.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3Package registry (OSV)
suse:podman4.3.1-150400.4.11.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

All national notices →

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • Administrator privileges are required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

References

Show all references (1 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records