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Scenario #250
Security
K8s v1.21, On-Premise
Compromised Container Runtime
The container runtime (Docker) was compromised, allowing an attacker to gain control over the containers running on the node.
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What Happened
A vulnerability in the container runtime was exploited by an attacker, who was able to execute arbitrary code on the host node. This allowed the attacker to escape the container and execute malicious commands on the underlying infrastructure.
Diagnosis Steps
- 1Detected unusual activity on the node using intrusion detection systems (IDS).
- 2Analyzed container runtime logs and discovered signs of container runtime compromise.
- 3Found that the attacker exploited a known vulnerability in the Docker daemon to gain elevated privileges.
Root Cause
An unpatched vulnerability in the container runtime allowed an attacker to escape the container and gain access to the host.
Fix/Workaround
• Immediately patched the container runtime (Docker) to address the security vulnerability.
• Implemented security measures, such as running containers with user namespaces and seccomp profiles to minimize the impact of any future exploits.Lessons Learned
Regularly update the container runtime and other components to mitigate the risk of known vulnerabilities.
How to Avoid
- 1Keep the container runtime up to date with security patches.
- 2Use security features like seccomp, AppArmor, or SELinux to minimize container privileges and limit potential attack vectors.