CVE-2025-24882: Regclient Docker and OCI Registry Client Vulnerability, Overview of Exploit Details and Mitigation

Docker and OCI Registry Client in Go, known as regclient, is an increasingly popular choice for managing container registries, streamlining the process of image management, and interacting with the registries programmatically. However, a recent vulnerability has been identified (CVE-2025-24882) that potentially puts your infrastructure at risk. The vulnerability centers around the possibility of a malicious registry returning a different digest for a pinned manifest without detection. This article aims to provide a detailed overview of this issue, propose a protective solution, and offer guidance on implementing the necessary fixes.

The Exploit: CVE-2025-24882

CVE-2025-24882 affects regclient versions below .7.1. The vulnerability allows a malicious registry to return a different digest for a pinned manifest without detection. This could lead to the deployment of unverified or malicious Docker images, ultimately compromising the host infrastructure.

Code Snippet

Here's a sample implementation in Go that demonstrates the vulnerability. This code snippet is running regclient version .6.:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "github.com/regclient/regclient/pkg/imgutil"
    "github.com/regclient/regclient/pkg/regclient"
)

func main() {
    client, err := regclient.NewClient()
    if err != nil {
        fmt.Printf("Failed to create regclient: %v\n", err)
        return
    }

    registry := "example.com"
    image := "sample-app"
    tag := "latest"
    ref := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s:%s", registry, image, tag)

    digest, err := client.GetDigest(ref)
    if err != nil {
        fmt.Printf("Failed to fetch digest: %v", err)
        return
    }

    fmt.Printf("Fetched digest: %v\n", digest)
}

Looking at this code snippet, client.GetDigest(ref) potentially returns a different digest for a pinned manifest without detection. Consequently, this could put systems at risk if a malicious registry returns altered digests.

To learn more about this particular vulnerability, please consult the following resources

- Regclient GitHub repository: https://github.com/regclient/regclient
- Regclient issue: https://github.com/regclient/regclient/issues/17
- National Vulnerability Database entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-24882

Mitigation: Update to Regclient Version .7.1

The first step towards mitigating this vulnerability is updating your regclient installation. The vulnerability is fixed in version .7.1, ensuring that digests are verified correctly against the pinned manifest.

To update your regclient, follow these steps

1. Download the latest version (.7.1) from the GitHub repository (https://github.com/regclient/regclient/releases).

Replace your existing regclient binary with the new one.

3. Verify that the vulnerability is resolved by checking the version number using the regclient version command.

With these steps, your regclient installation is now protected against CVE-2025-24882 and has the required security measures in place.

Conclusion

In the world of evolving container technologies, ensuring your infrastructure is up to date and secure is critical. By addressing this vulnerability promptly, users of regclient can rest assured that their systems are less susceptible to the risks posed by malicious registries. The importance of regularly updating and maintaining your software systems cannot be emphasized enough, as doing so helps safeguard against potential security vulnerabilities.

Stay vigilant, and always remember to keep software components updated to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous attackers.

Timeline

Published on: 01/29/2025 18:15:47 UTC