youki container escape via "masked path" abuse due to mount race conditions

Description

Impact

youki utilizes bind mounting the container's /dev/null as a file mask. When performing this operation, the initial validation of the source /dev/null was insufficient. Specifically, we initially failed to verify whether /dev/null was genuinely present. However, we did perform validation to ensure that the /dev/null path existed within the container, including checking for symbolic links. Additionally, there was a vulnerability in the timing between validation and the actual mount operation.

As a result, by replacing /dev/null with a symbolic link, we can bind-mount arbitrary files from the host system.

This is a different project, but the core logic is similar to the CVE in runc. Issues were identified in runc, and verification was also conducted in youki to confirm the problems.
https://github.com/opencontainers/runc/security/advisories/GHSA-9493-h29p-rfm2

Credits

Thanks to Lei Wang (@ssst0n3 from Huawei) for finding and reporting the original runc's vulnerability (Attack 1), and Li Fubang (@lifubang from acmcoder.com, CIIC) for discovering another attack vector in runc (Attack 2) based on @ssst0n3's initial findings.

Also, @cyphar helped youki in finding the problem.

Basic information

Type
reviewed
Severity
high
Advisory on GitHub
Open advisory ↗
Repository advisory
Open repository advisory ↗
Source code
Browse source ↗
Published (advisory)
2025-11-05 18:44:18 UTC
Updated
2025-11-15 02:25:02 UTC
GitHub reviewed
2025-11-05 18:44:18 UTC
NVD published
2025-11-05

EPSS Score

Score Percentile
0.05% 14.10%

CVSS Scores

Base score Version Severity Vector
10.0 3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
7.3 4.0
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
Attacker needs local access on the target system.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and stable.
Attack requirements (AT:P)
Additional preconditions must be present for exploitation.
Privileges required (PR:L)
Low privileges are required.
User interaction (UI:A)
User interaction is required in an active way.
Vulnerable system confidentiality impact (VC:H)
High confidentiality impact on the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system integrity impact (VI:H)
High integrity impact on the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system availability impact (VA:H)
High availability impact on the vulnerable system.
Subsequent system confidentiality impact (SC:H)
High confidentiality impact on subsequent systems.
Subsequent system integrity impact (SI:H)
High integrity impact on subsequent systems.
Subsequent system availability impact (SA:H)
High availability impact on subsequent systems.

Identifiers

CWEs

CWE id Name
CWE-61 UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following
CWE-363 Race Condition Enabling Link Following

Affected packages (1)

Vulnerable version ranges and first patched releases as published by GitHub.

Ecosystem Package Vulnerable range First patched Vulnerable functions
rust youki < 0.5.7 0.5.7

References

cvelogic Threat Intelligence