Analysis Summary

An NVIDIA Container Toolkit security issue has been discovered that, if it is successfully exploited, might let threat actors escape a container and take control of the underlying host.

With a CVSS score of 9.0, the vulnerability is tagged as CVE-2024-0132. Versions 1.16.2 of the NVIDIA Container Toolkit and 24.6.2 of the NVIDIA GPU Operator have addressed it. When used with a default setup, NVIDIA Container Toolkit 1.16.1 or older has a Time-of-check Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) vulnerability that might allow a specially constructed container image to access the host file system. If this vulnerability is successfully exploited, there could be data manipulation, code execution, denial of service, privilege escalation, and information exposure.

The problem affects Nvidia GPU Operator up to and including 24.6.1 and all versions of NVIDIA Container Toolkit up to and including v1.16.1. It has no bearing on use cases that employ Container Device Interface (CDI), nevertheless. The vulnerability was found by a cloud security firm, which notified NVIDIA about it on September 1, 2024. According to the researchers, the flaw would enable a container escape and full host access for an attacker in control of the Toolkit's container images.

A threat actor could weaponize this vulnerability in a hypothetical attack scenario by making a rogue container image that, when executed directly or indirectly on the target machine, gives them complete access to the file system. This might manifest as a supply chain attack in which the victim is duped into executing the malicious image or, on the other hand, through services that permit the sharing of GPU resources.

The attacker can now access thedocker.sock/containerd.sock Container Runtime Unix sockets thanks to this access. By using these sockets, one can gain root access to the host system and utilize them to run arbitrary instructions, thus taking over the computer. Because of the potential for an attacker to escape the container and gain access to the data and secrets of other apps operating on the same node or even on the same cluster, the issue poses a danger to coordinated, multi-tenant systems.

To thwart attempts at exploitation, technical details of the attack have been kept secret thus far. It is strongly advised that users install the fixes to protect themselves from potential dangers. While futuristic AI-based attacks are often the center of the buzz around AI security threats, "old-school" infrastructure vulnerabilities in the ever-expanding AI tech stack continue to be the immediate danger that security teams should prioritize and guard against.

Impact

• Unauthorized Access
• Code Execution
• Denial of Service
• Privilege Escalation
• Exposure of Sensitive Data

Indicators of Compromise

CVE

• CVE-2024-0132

Affected Vendors

Remediation

• Refer to NVIDIA Security Bulletin for patch, upgrade, or suggested workaround information.
• Organizations must test their assets for the vulnerability mentioned above and apply the available security patch or mitigation steps as soon as possible.
• Implement multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to login processes.
• Regularly monitor network activity for any unusual behavior, as this may indicate that a cyberattack is underway.
• Organizations must stay vigilant and follow best practices for cybersecurity to protect their systems and data from potential threats. This includes regularly updating software and implementing strong access controls and monitoring tools.
• Develop a comprehensive incident response plan to respond effectively in case of a security breach or data leakage.
• Maintain regular backups of critical data and systems to ensure data recovery in case of a security incident.
• Adhere to security best practices, including the principle of least privilege, and ensure that users and applications have only the necessary permissions.
• Establish a robust patch management process to ensure that security patches are evaluated, tested, and applied promptly.
• Conduct security audits and assessments to evaluate the overall security posture of your systems and networks.
• Implement network segmentation to contain and isolate potential threats to limit their impact on critical systems.