CVE-2020-27151

Name: CVE-2020-27151
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2020-12-07T14:15:11.28+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 8.8/10EPSS 2.02%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-27151 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 8.8/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in Kata Containers through 1.11.3 and 2.x through 2.0-rc1. The runtime will execute binaries given using annotations without any kind of validation. EPSS estimates a 2.02% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in Kata Containers through 1.11.3 and 2.x through 2.0-rc1. The runtime will execute binaries given using annotations without any kind of validation. Someone who is granted access rights to a cluster will be able to have kata-runtime execute arbitrary binaries as root on the worker nodes.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

8.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

2.02%

78.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Katacontainers	Kata Containers	<= 1.11.3	—
Katacontainers	Kata Containers	2.0.0	Alpha1

References

https://bugs.launchpad.net/katacontainers.io/+bug/1878234Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/releases/tag/2.0.0Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kata-containers/runtime/releases/tag/1.11.5Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kata-containers/runtime/releases/tag/1.12.0Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.launchpad.net/katacontainers.io/+bug/1878234Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/releases/tag/2.0.0Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kata-containers/runtime/releases/tag/1.11.5Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kata-containers/runtime/releases/tag/1.12.0Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Dec 7, 2020
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-27151?

How severe is CVE-2020-27151?

CVE-2020-27151 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.02% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-27151?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-27151?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST