CVE-2021-32760

Name: CVE-2021-32760
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-07-19T21:15:07.857+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.3/10EPSS 1.61%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-32760 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.3/10 on the CVSS scale. containerd is a container runtime. A bug was found in containerd versions prior to 1.4.8 and 1.5.4 where pulling and extracting a specially-crafted container image can result in Unix file permission changes for existing files in the host’s filesystem. EPSS estimates a 1.61% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

containerd is a container runtime. A bug was found in containerd versions prior to 1.4.8 and 1.5.4 where pulling and extracting a specially-crafted container image can result in Unix file permission changes for existing files in the host’s filesystem. Changes to file permissions can deny access to the expected owner of the file, widen access to others, or set extended bits like setuid, setgid, and sticky. This bug does not directly allow files to be read, modified, or executed without an additional cooperating process. This bug has been fixed in containerd 1.5.4 and 1.4.8. As a workaround, ensure that users only pull images from trusted sources. Linux security modules (LSMs) like SELinux and AppArmor can limit the files potentially affected by this bug through policies and profiles that prevent containerd from interacting with specific files.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.3/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.61%

72.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linuxfoundation	Containerd	< 1.4.8
Linuxfoundation	Containerd	>= 1.5.0, < 1.5.4
Fedoraproject	Fedora	34

References

https://github.com/containerd/containerd/releases/tag/v1.4.8Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/containerd/containerd/releases/tag/v1.5.4Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/containerd/containerd/security/advisories/GHSA-c72p-9xmj-rx3wThird Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDMNDPJJTP3J5GOEDB66F6MGXUTRG3Y3/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-31
https://github.com/containerd/containerd/releases/tag/v1.4.8Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/containerd/containerd/releases/tag/v1.5.4Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/containerd/containerd/security/advisories/GHSA-c72p-9xmj-rx3wThird Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDMNDPJJTP3J5GOEDB66F6MGXUTRG3Y3/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-31

Timeline

Published: Jul 19, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-32760?

How severe is CVE-2021-32760?

CVE-2021-32760 has a CVSS score of 6.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.61% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-32760?

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-2021-32760?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST