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Edgeless Systems Contrast EUVDEUVD-2026-97660

| CVE-2026-109358 HIGH
Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource (CWE-732)
2026-10-12 VulnCheck GHSA-vpr9-m7xg-f3fh
8.5
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: VulnCheck
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain local unprivileged account on node
  2. Delivery
    Locate world-writable (0666) containerd config
  3. Exploit
    Overwrite runc binary path to malicious payload
  4. Execution
    Trigger container runtime execution
  5. Impact
    Execute code as root on node

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration Permission assignment review
Exploitation Conditions

Requires a local unprivileged user account on a node where the Contrast node installer has deployed the containerd configuration with world-writable (0666) permissions, on affected versions 1.8.0 up to (but not including) 1.24.1. The concrete prerequisite is write access to the containerd config file, which the installer itself exposes; the attacker then overwrites a runtime setting such as the runc binary location. Exploitation is limited to attackers who already have local presence on the node - there is no network vector and no path for remote or unauthenticated actors - which substantially narrows realistic exposure to multi-tenant or shared-node deployments.

Impact

This is a credible local privilege-escalation issue rather than a remotely wormable threat. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N) and the description agree cleanly: an attacker needs an existing low-privileged local account on the affected node, no user interaction, and low attack complexity, with high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability (VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) scoped to the local system (SC:N/SI:N/SA:N). The 8.5 score is driven by the full compromise of the node once the condition is met. Exploitation status is 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis' - there is no KEV listing, no EPSS score, and no POC referenced, so there is no evidence of active or widespread exploitation; this is a priority primarily for operators who run Contrast and have multi-tenant or shared-node access models. No signals conflict here: the local attack vector, PR:L, and the 'local unprivileged users' wording in the description are mutually consistent. The main unknown is real-world exposure - EPSS, KEV, and POC data are all absent from the input, so likelihood of exploitation cannot be quantified beyond the technical prerequisites.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

On a node where the Contrast node installer has run, a local unprivileged user discovers the containerd configuration file is world-writable (0666). The user edits the config to point the runc binary location at an attacker-controlled executable, so that the next container runtime invocation runs their code with elevated (root/runtime) privileges on the node. No public exploit code is referenced, and the attack requires only a pre-existing low-privilege local account and standard low-complexity steps.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 12, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Edgeless Systems Contrast 1.8.0 through 1.24.0 allows a low-privileged local user on a node to modify the world-writable containerd configuration and overwrite the runc runtime path, leading to high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on that node. This is a credible local privilege-escalation issue rather than a remotely wormable threat; the CVSS vector requires local access with low privileges (PR:L), and no public exploit identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Upgrade Edgeless Systems Contrast to 1.24.1 or later, which is the vendor-released patch version identified in the description. If an immediate upgrade is not possible, remove world-writable permissions from the containerd configuration file by setting it to root-owned mode 0644 or 0600, and verify that the runc path in that file points to the expected trusted binary; be aware that the node installer may restore insecure permissions on reinstall or upgrade, so reapply and verify the hardening after every such operation. On multi-tenant or shared nodes, restrict local login access to trusted administrators and monitor the containerd configuration for unexpected changes as a compensating control. Consult the GitHub advisory at https://github.com/edgelesssys/contrast/security/advisories/GHSA-376m-h37w-4rvq and the VulnCheck advisory at https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/edgeless-systems-contrast-1.8.0-before-1.24.1-world-writable-containerd-config-privilege-escalation for further details.

Affected VersionsENISA

contrast 1.8.0 <1.24.1

Affected Packages

euvd contrast fix: 1.24.1

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The flaw is CWE-732, incorrect permission assignment for a critical resource. The Contrast node installer writes the containerd configuration file with mode 0666, making it writable by any local user. Containerd is the container runtime that uses configuration fields such as the runc binary path; if an unprivileged local attacker changes that path to a malicious executable, subsequent container operations can execute attacker-controlled code with the privileges of containerd, typically root on the node. Affected versions are 1.8.0 up to but not including 1.24.1, and the CPE cpe:2.3:a:edgelesssys:contrast:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* identifies the Contrast product. The published CVSS 4.0 score is 8.5, and the independent assessment uses a CVSS 3.1 local vector with high impact. The CVSS 4.0 vector is local, low complexity, no user interaction, and PR:L, so authentication requirements are a low-privileged local account rather than remote or unauthenticated access; the independent assessment aligns with a local-only privilege-escalation scenario.

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Severity by source

Vendor (VulnCheck) PRIMARY 8.5 HIGH
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

Local node access with an existing low-privileged account gives AV:L and PR:L; the world-writable file makes exploitation low-complexity (AC:L), and runc hijack yields full node compromise (C/I/A:H).

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).

CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
High
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
None
Subsequent system: Integrity
None
Subsequent system: Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Oct 12, 2026 - 18:03 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 12, 2026 - 16:05 cve.org
HIGH 8.5

DescriptionCVE.org

Edgeless Systems Contrast 1.8.0 before 1.24.1 contains an incorrect permissions vulnerability where the node installer writes the containerd config world-writable (0666). Local unprivileged users on the node can modify the containerd config, for example overwriting the runc location, to escalate privileges.

Technical POC Analysis

CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource).

Full technical POC analysis - root cause, step-by-step exploitation and patch breakdown - is part of the Pro and Business plans.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Edgeless Systems Contrast 1.8.0 through 1.24.0 carries a high-severity local privilege escalation issue that could allow a low-privileged user on an affected node to take control of container runtime behavior and impact data confidentiality, integrity, and availability on that node. Leadership should care because node-level compromise can weaken workload isolation, expose sensitive information, or disrupt services, though the issue requires local access and has no public exploit identified at time of analysis. No vendor-released patch is currently available, so risk must be managed through access restrictions and configuration hardening until a fix is issued.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis; interim mitigations include removing world-writable permissions from containerd configuration files, restricting low-privileged local access to affected nodes, monitoring and alerting on changes to containerd configuration or runc runtime paths, enforcing least privilege for node users, and isolating affected nodes from sensitive workloads until a patch is available.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 99% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche confidential-computing Kubernetes product, limited enterprise footprint
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

42
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +42
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.

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