Web-terminal: privilege escalation via excessive /etc/passwd permissions
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
A container privilege escalation flaw was found in certain Web Terminal images. This issue stems from the /etc/passwd file being created with group-writable permissions during build time. In certain conditions, an attacker who can execute commands within an affected container, even as a non-root user, can leverage their membership in the root group to modify the /etc/passwd file. This could allow the attacker to add a new user with any arbitrary UID, including UID 0, leading to full root privileges within the container.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Web Terminal | Affected | No fix yet |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-57853
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-5hr2-27x3-gwrr
References
More Red Hat Web Terminal vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-23979 The HTTP/2 protocol allows a denial of service (server resource consumption) because… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
Sources
- CVE-2025-57853 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-57853 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-5hr2-27x3-gwrr · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-57853 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences