CVE-2026-105768 — apko /etc/passwd and /etc/group UID/GID truncation writes package-supplied entries as root
apko allows users to build and publish OCI container images built from apk packages. From version 0.2.0 to before version 1.4.5, UserEntry.Parse and GroupEntry.Parse in pkg/passwd read the UID and GID fields of /etc/passwd and /etc/group entries with strconv.Atoi and convert them to uint32 without a range check. On 64-bit platforms an out-of-range value such as 4294967296 (2^32) is truncated to 0, and negative values wrap. Because apko parses the passwd and group entries supplied by the packages it installs and writes them back into the image, an attacker who controls a package installed into the image can ship an entry that appears to declare an unprivileged UID or GID but is written into the built image as UID 0 or GID 0 (root). The truncated UID is also used when resolving the image's run-as user. This issue has been fixed in version 1.4.5.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+3
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Chainguard-dev Apko).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chainguard-dev | Apko | ≥ 0.2.0 and < 1.4.5 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | CVSS 4.0 | Medium | — | — | 82cea9a6-e9e3-46fe-bdb0-3673de380178 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 6.3 | CVSS 4.0 | Medium | — | — | chainguard via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:L/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X (score shown at the top: 82cea9a6-e9e3-46fe-bdb0-3673de380178) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 0.30%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · chainguard-dev/apko
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 6.3
- Source status changed · → Deferred
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
4 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-54174 melange: Incomplete package integrity verification allows data section substitution Sep 11, 2026
- High CVE-2026-42575 apko doesn't verify downloaded apk packages against APKINDEX checksum (package substitution possible) May 9, 2026
- High CVE-2026-42574 apko dirFS has a symlink-following path traversal that allows multiple entry points to escape the build root May 9, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-42576 apko `DiscoverKeys` has a panic on non-rsa jwks key that causes crash during key discovery May 9, 2026
- High CVE-2026-25140 apko affected by potential unbounded resource consumption in expandapk.ExpandApk on attacker-controlled .apk streams Feb 4, 2026
- High CVE-2026-25121 apko is vulnerable to path traversal in apko dirFS which allows filesystem writes outside base Feb 4, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-105768 is "apko /etc/passwd and /etc/group UID/GID truncation writes package-supplied entries as root", rated Medium. It affects Apko (Chainguard-dev); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 6.3 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.30% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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