CVE-2022-29162: runc is a CLI tool for spawning and running containers on Linux according to the OCI specification. A bug was found in runc prior to version 1.1.2 whe...

Description

runc is a CLI tool for spawning and running containers on Linux according to the OCI specification. A bug was found in runc prior to version 1.1.2 where `runc exec --cap` created processes with non-empty inheritable Linux process capabilities, creating an atypical Linux environment and enabling programs with inheritable file capabilities to elevate those capabilities to the permitted set during execve(2). This bug did not affect the container security sandbox as the inheritable set never contained more capabilities than were included in the container's bounding set. This bug has been fixed in runc 1.1.2. This fix changes `runc exec --cap` behavior such that the additional capabilities granted to the process being executed (as specified via `--cap` arguments) do not include inheritable capabilities. In addition, `runc spec` is changed to not set any inheritable capabilities in the created example OCI spec (`config.json`) file.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.39%

30.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-276

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linuxfoundation	Runc	< 1.1.2
Fedoraproject	Fedora	34
Fedoraproject	Fedora	35
Fedoraproject	Fedora	36

References

Timeline

Published: May 17, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-29162?

runc is a CLI tool for spawning and running containers on Linux according to the OCI specification. A bug was found in runc prior to version 1.1.2 where `runc exec --cap` created processes with non-empty inheritable Linux process capabilities, creating an atypical Linux environment and enabling programs with inheritable file capabilities to elevate those capabilities to the permitted set during execve(2). This bug did not affect the container security sandbox as the inheritable set never contained more capabilities than were included in the container's bounding set. This bug has been fixed in runc 1.1.2. This fix changes `runc exec --cap` behavior such that the additional capabilities granted to the process being executed (as specified via `--cap` arguments) do not include inheritable capabilities. In addition, `runc spec` is changed to not set any inheritable capabilities in the created example OCI spec (`config.json`) file.

How severe is CVE-2022-29162?

CVE-2022-29162 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.39% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-29162?

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.