# CVE-2021-3344: Privilege escalation in openshift/builder

> OpenShift users can escalate privileges and modify container images by accessing mounted credentials during build time.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Mar 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024

## What is CVE-2021-3344?

CVE-2021-3344 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Openshift Container Platform, published on 16 Mar 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A privilege escalation flaw was found in OpenShift builder. During build time, credentials outside the build context are automatically mounted into the container image under construction. An OpenShift user, able to execute code during build time inside this container can re-use the credentials to overwrite arbitrary container images in internal registries and/or escalate their privileges. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability. This affects github.com/openshift/builder v0.0.0-20210125201112-7901cb396121 and before.

Weakness: CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-3344?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Redhat Openshift Builder, Redhat Openshift Container Platform.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-3344?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-3344 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-3344 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-3344 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-3344 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-3344 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Openshift Container Platform, published on 16 Mar 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-3344 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Openshift Container Platform. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3344/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3344/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-3344
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3344
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-3344

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3344/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.