Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
- EPSS is 0.33% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2025
CVE-2025-58354High confidence
Kata Containers coco-tdx malicious host can circumvent initdata verification
kata-containers · kata-containers
Official source article: GitHub GHSA-989W-4XR2-WW9M ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.
6.9MediumCVSS 4.0
Patch only the product branches with a verified fix
Fix availability varies by productMedium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 4 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityMedium→Operational priority:Medium, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Apply the linked authoritative mitigation while planning the permanent fix.
- Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs kata-containers kata-containers and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Recheck the vendor advisory before scheduling a change because no verified fixed version is currently retained.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Remediation availability differs by product scope
Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 4 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.
- Red Hat Product Security: 4 affected or under-investigation product states without a fixed product state in the same current advisory
Direct vendor intelligence
1 currentAuthoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories
Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.
CVE-2025-58354 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securitykata-containers: Kata Containers coco-tdx malicious host can circumvent initdata verification
The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.
- kata-containers as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- kata-containers.src as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Summary
- A vulnerability has been identified in Kata Containers that allows a malicious host to bypass a critical security check designed to validate workloads. On systems using TDX technology for confidential computing, an attacker with control of the host system can intentionally disrupt operations to skip this verification process. This flaw allows the attacker to run unauthorized code inside a secure, isolated virtual environment while making the malicious software appear as a trusted application.
- Remediation
- Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.
Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 4 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.
Fix availability varies by product01
What, why and how
Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. In Kata Containers versions from 3.20.0 and before, a malicious host can circumvent initdata verification. On TDX systems running confidential guests, a malicious host can selectively fail IO operations to skip initdata verification. This allows an attacker to launch arbitrary workloads while being able to attest successfully to Trustee impersonating any benign workload. This issue has been patched in Kata Containers version 3.21.0.
What
Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. In Kata Containers versions from 3.20.0 and before, a malicious host can circumvent initdata verification. On TDX systems running confidential guests, a malicious host can selectively fail IO operations to skip initdata verification. This allows an attacker to launch arbitrary workloads while being able to attest successfully to Trustee impersonating any benign workload. This issue has been patched in Kata Containers version 3.21.0.
Why
The product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
What
Kata Containers is an open source project focusing on a standard implementation of lightweight Virtual Machines (VMs) that perform like containers. In Kata Containers versions from 3.20.0 and before, a malicious host can circumvent initdata verification. On TDX systems running confidential guests, a malicious host can selectively fail IO operations to skip initdata verification. This allows an attacker to launch arbitrary workloads while being able to attest successfully to Trustee impersonating any benign workload. This issue has been patched in Kata Containers version 3.21.0.
Why
The product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- a network path → Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
- Attack surface
- Network
- Privileges required
- None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
- Security boundary
- Not a CVSS 4.0 base metric
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-754 ↗
CWE-754: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions. The product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 4.0: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.ATNoneAttack requirements: No additional deployment or execution condition is required.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.VCNoneVulnerable-system confidentiality: No direct loss is represented by this metric.VILowVulnerable-system integrity: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.VANoneVulnerable-system availability: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SCNoneSubsequent-system confidentiality: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SINoneSubsequent-system integrity: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SANoneSubsequent-system availability: No direct loss is represented by this metric.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Fix availability varies by product
- Affected
- kata-containers as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- kata-containers.src as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Action
- Use the product-specific evidence above. Patch only products with a verified fixed release, and keep every affected or under-investigation state without a matching fix in the remediation queue.
- Workaround
- Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 23 Sept 2025 · Last source change 24 Sept 2025, 13:22 UTC · CWE-754 · Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2025-30931
Product sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD not scheduled
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
- Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.Red Hat Product Security ↗
- Before
- kata-containers as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4; kata-containers.src as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4; openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- After
- kata-containers as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4; kata-containers.src as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4; openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4; openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.