CVE-2022-23471

containerd CRI stream server vulnerable to host memory exhaustion via terminal

Workarounds

Ensure that only trusted images and commands are used and that only trusted users have permissions to execute commands in running containers.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

• Open an issue in containerd
• Email us at [email protected]

To report a security issue in containerd:

• Report a new vulnerability
• Email us at [email protected]

A bug was found in containerd's CRI implementation where a user can exhaust memory on the host. In the CRI stream server, a goroutine is launched to handle terminal resize events if a TTY is requested. If the user's process fails to launch due to, for example, a faulty command, the goroutine will be stuck waiting to send without a receiver, resulting in a memory leak. Kubernetes and crictl can both be configured to use containerd's CRI implementation and the stream server is used for handling container IO.

Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.

CVE-2022-23471 has a CVSS score of 5.7 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.5.16, 1.6.12); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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This bug has been fixed in containerd 1.6.12 and 1.5.16. Users should update to these versions to resolve the issue.

1. What is CVE-2022-23471? CVE-2022-23471 is a medium-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in github.com/containerd/containerd (go), affecting versions < 1.5.16. It is fixed in 1.5.16, 1.6.12. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-23471? CVE-2022-23471 has a CVSS score of 5.7 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of github.com/containerd/containerd are affected by CVE-2022-23471? github.com/containerd/containerd (go) versions < 1.5.16 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-23471? Yes. CVE-2022-23471 is fixed in 1.5.16, 1.6.12. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-23471 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-23471 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2022-23471 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2022-23471?
   • Upgrade github.com/containerd/containerd to 1.5.16 or later
   • Upgrade github.com/containerd/containerd to 1.6.12 or later

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/containerd/containerd