CVE-2025-4437: DoS (CVSS 5.7)

Description

There's a vulnerability in the CRI-O application where when container is launched with securityContext.runAsUser specifying a non-existent user, CRI-O attempts to create the user, reading the container's entire /etc/passwd file into memory. If this file is excessively large, it can cause the a high memory consumption leading applications to be killed due to out-of-memory. As a result a denial-of-service can be achieved, possibly disrupting other pods and services running in the same host.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.7

MEDIUM

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-770 CWE-770

References

Other References

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-4437 https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2375084

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-4437? +

There's a vulnerability in the CRI-O application where when container is launched with securityContext.runAsUser specifying a non-existent user, CRI-O attempts to create the user, reading the container's entire /etc/passwd file into memory. If this file is excessively large, it can cause the a high memory consumption leading applications to be killed due to out-of-memory. As a result a denial-of-service can be achieved, possibly disrupting other pods and services running in the same host. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.7 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-4437? +

CVE-2025-4437 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.7 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-4437? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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