CVE-2026-50540

Received Received - Intake

Kata Containers Host Code Execution via Unvalidated Config Path

Publication date: 2026-08-07

Last updated on: 2026-08-07

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description

Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. Prior to version 4.0.0, kata-runtime is vulnerable to host code execution via an unvalidated configuration path annotation. The runtime accepts an arbitrary io.katacontainers.config_path pod annotation and loads the referenced host TOML file without restriction. As a result, a pod user who can place a file at a host-visible path can supply a configuration that selects an attacker-controlled hypervisor or virtio-fs daemon binary, executing code as root on the host. This issue is fixed in version 4.0.0.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-07

Last Modified

2026-08-07

Generated

2026-08-08

AI Q&A

2026-08-08

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-50540

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
katacontainers	kata_runtime	to 4.0.0 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-22	The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
CWE-20	The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

Kata Containers is a project that implements lightweight virtual machines designed to function like containers. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 4.0.0, where the kata-runtime component accepts an arbitrary pod annotation called io.katacontainers.config_path. This annotation points to a TOML configuration file on the host system without any validation. An attacker who can place a file at a host-visible path can exploit this to load a malicious configuration, potentially selecting an attacker-controlled hypervisor or virtio-fs daemon binary. This would allow the attacker to execute code as root on the host system.

Detection Guidance

Check if your Kata Containers runtime version is below 4.0.0 by running: kata-runtime --version. Inspect pod annotations for io.katacontainers.config_path in running pods using kubectl get pods -o yaml. Look for unexpected or untrusted TOML files in paths referenced by this annotation.

Impact Analysis

If you are using Kata Containers versions prior to 4.0.0, an attacker with the ability to place files on your host system could exploit this vulnerability to gain root access on your host. This could lead to complete compromise of the host system, unauthorized data access, or further lateral movement within your environment. The impact is severe due to the high privileges gained by the attacker.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, which may violate compliance requirements under GDPR, HIPAA, or other regulations. For example, GDPR requires protection of personal data, and a breach could result in legal penalties. HIPAA mandates safeguards for protected health information, and a root-level compromise could expose such data. Organizations must address this vulnerability to maintain compliance and avoid regulatory fines.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Kata Containers runtime to version 4.0.0 or later immediately. Restrict pod annotation usage to trusted sources. Audit existing pods for suspicious config_path annotations. Remove write access to host-visible paths where pods can place files.

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