Summary
Incorrect Authorization in imgcrypt
Imgcrypt implements a function CheckAuthorization() that is supposed to check whether a user is authorized to access an encrypted image given the keys that the user has provided on the command line that would enable decryption of the image. The check is to prevent that a user can start a container from an image that has previously been decrypted by another user on the same system and therefore a decrypted version of the image layers may be already available in the cache locally.
The failure occurs when an image with a ManifestList is used and the architecture of the local host is not the first one in the ManifestList. In the version prior to the fix, only the first architecture in the list was tested, which may not have its layers available locally (were not pulled) since it cannot be run on the host architecture. Therefore, the verdict on unavailable layers was that the image could be run anticipating that image run failure would occur later due to the layers not being available. However, this verdict to allow the image to run lead to other architectures in the ManifestList be able to run an image without providing keys if that image had previously been decrypted. The fixed version now skips over irrelevant architectures and tests the Manifest of the local architecture, if available.
Known projects that use the CheckAuthorization() of imgcrypt is for example the ctr-enc client tool provided by imgcrypt. In this implementation, the call to CheckAuthorization() is used on the client side and could therefore also be easily circumvented by a modified client tool not calling this function.
In relation to the vulnerability in ctr-enc, affected environments would have to allow different users to invoke ctr-enc indirectly using some sort of management stack that gives user indirect access to ctr-enc.
The patch has been applied to imgcrypt v1.1.4. Workarounds may include usage of different namespaces for each remote user.
Impact
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
CVE-2022-24778 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (1.1.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-24778? CVE-2022-24778 is a high-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in github.com/containerd/imgcrypt (go), affecting versions < 1.1.4. It is fixed in 1.1.4. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is CVE-2022-24778? CVE-2022-24778 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). 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.
- Which versions of github.com/containerd/imgcrypt are affected by CVE-2022-24778? github.com/containerd/imgcrypt (go) versions < 1.1.4 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-24778? Yes. CVE-2022-24778 is fixed in 1.1.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-24778 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-24778 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2022-24778 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2022-24778? Upgrade
github.com/containerd/imgcryptto 1.1.4 or later.