[![Logo](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/PANW_Parent.png)](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/) [![Unit42 Logo](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/unit42-logo-white.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/) Menu * [Tools](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tools/) * [ATOMs](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/atoms/) * [Security Consulting](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42) * [About Us](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/about-unit-42/) * [**Under Attack?**](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/contact-unit42.html) English * [English](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/non-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care/) * [Japanese](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ja/non-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care/) * [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") * [Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/ "Threat Research") * [Cloud Cybersecurity Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/cloud-cybersecurity-research/ "Cloud Cybersecurity Research") [Cloud Cybersecurity Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/cloud-cybersecurity-research/) # Non-Root Containers, Kubernetes CVE-2019-11245 and Why You Should Care ![Clock Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-clock.svg) 6 min read * ![Profile Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-profile-grey.svg) By: * [Ariel Zelivansky](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/ariel-zelivansky/) * ![Published Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-calendar-grey.svg) Published:August 28, 2019 * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-category.svg) Categories: * [Cloud Cybersecurity Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/cloud-cybersecurity-research/) * [Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) * [Vulnerabilities](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/vulnerabilities/) * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-tags-grey.svg) Tags: * [Containers](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/containers/) * [CVE-2019-11245](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2019-11245/) * [Kubernetes](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/kubernetes/) * [![Download Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-download.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/non-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care/?pdf=download&lg=en&_wpnonce=5f0cc26d8b "Click here to download") * [![Print Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-print.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/non-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care/?pdf=print&lg=en&_wpnonce=5f0cc26d8b "Click here to print") Share![Down arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/down-arrow.svg) * ![Link Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-share-link.svg) * [![Link Email](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-sms.svg)](mailto:?subject=Non-Root%20Containers,%20Kubernetes%20CVE-2019-11245%20and%20Why%20You%20Should%20Care&body=Check%20out%20this%20article%20https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fnon-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care%2F "Share in email") * [![Facebook Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-fb-share.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fnon-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care%2F "Share in Facebook") * [![LinkedIn Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-linkedin-share.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fnon-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care%2F&title=Non-Root%20Containers,%20Kubernetes%20CVE-2019-11245%20and%20Why%20You%20Should%20Care "Share in LinkedIn") * [![Twitter Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-twitter-share.svg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fnon-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care%2F&text=Non-Root%20Containers,%20Kubernetes%20CVE-2019-11245%20and%20Why%20You%20Should%20Care "Share in Twitter") * [![Reddit Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-reddit-share.svg)](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com//www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fnon-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care%2F&ts=markdown "Share in Reddit") * [![Mastodon Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-mastodon-share.svg)](https://mastodon.social/share?text=Non-Root%20Containers,%20Kubernetes%20CVE-2019-11245%20and%20Why%20You%20Should%20Care%20https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fnon-root-containers-kubernetes-cve-2019-11245-care%2F "Share in Mastodon") On May 31th, the Kubernetes Product Security Committee announced a [security regression](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/kubernetes-security-announce/lAs07uKLq2k) in Kubernetes for which they had assigned CVE-2019-11245. The problem caused containers that use images which are supposed to run with a non root user to run as root, on the second time they are used or upon restart of the container. Before elaborating on this particular security issue, let's first clarify why running a program as root in a container is even a concern at all. ## Non-root containers When running applications on a non-containerized Linux environment, e.g. on the host machine, it is commonly understood why isolation between the root user and non-privileged users is desired. If run as root, any breached or misbehaving application could easily wreak havoc on the system, by modifying system files, stopping or launching privileged processes and so on. Many popular Linux daemons drop privileges in their early setup stages, for example the nginx daemon for Ubuntu forks and runs as the unprivileged www-data user. With containers, privilege separation was made even simpler. Each container runs in its own runtime, isolated by Linux namespaces and a dropped set of capabilities. Each application is meant to run in its own container, and root is assumed to be safe to use in the container. It has therefore become commonplace for applications in containers to run with root privileges, and most images do not change to a non-privileged user. Unfortunately, it is not commonly understood that by doing so these images may be missing out on an important security layer. That is especially true given many of these images have no real use for running as the root user. To their credit, some container platforms run all their containers as a non root user by default. OpenShift, for example, requires its users to use images that support running as a random, non-root user. It then runs each of its containers as an arbitrary non-root user.^1^ In addition, some containerized applications drop root privileges by changing to a non-root user after setup, allowing them to rely on user based file permissions to prevent access to sensitive files (e.g. configurations) or processes in the containers. This limits the damage an attacker can do in a breached container. [Jenkins](https://github.com/jenkinsci/docker/blob/master/README.md) is a good example of an image with this design. Nevertheless, the main reason for which using a non-root user in containers is a valuable security precaution is prevention of **container breakout**. Most container runtimes share the same root user between the host and containers. By itself this is not a problem, since the container process is sandboxed using Linux capabilities and Linux namespaces such as PID, net, mount and IPC. But if the kernel makes no distinction between the user or group IDs of the host and the container, any vulnerability in the container runtime that exposes anything from the host to a container process invites serious trouble. Put simply, succeeding in container breakout is much more probable for processes running as root. In such a scenario, a malicious process would be able to modify any file on the system without having to further escalate privileges to the root user. Moreover, some container escape vulnerabilities simply require root privileges to exploit. Over the years, multiple breakout vulnerabilities have been revealed in container engines including Kubernetes and Docker. One example is CVE-2016-9962, a vulnerability in runc^2^ allowing container processes to escape the host by grabbing file-descriptors from the host before their capabilities were dropped. Exploitation of this flaw required running the process as root. CVE-2019-5736, another runc vulnerability of the same nature that was found earlier this year, also required the malicious container process to run as the root user, as explained by Yuval Avrahami in his [exploitation writeup](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/breaking-docker-via-runc-explaining-cve-2019-5736/?ts=markdown). ### User namespaces and rootless containers A recent Linux kernel development that was designed to solve the issue of root in containers is [user namespaces](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/user_namespaces.7.html). User namespaces allow for isolation of the container's **user IDs and group IDs**. This kernel feature uses a mapping of UIDs and GIDs to differentiate between the users and groups on the host to those in the container. This allows for a process to run as UID 0 (root) inside the container while being UID 100000 (or any other UID) on the host. If then a process breaks out of a container the kernel will treat its effective user as the mapped non-root UID, and that process won't have root privileges on the host. Great! Yet the main container runtimes currently refrain from using user namespaces as the default. The feature was added to the kernel in Linux 3.8, which dates back to 2013, and Docker first [integrated](https://github.com/moby/moby/pull/12648) user namespaces back in 2015. However, since then it's never been enabled in Docker as a default feature, presumably due to the [limitations](https://docs.docker.com/engine/security/userns-remap/#user-namespace-known-limitations) its use imposes. For example, external volume or storage drivers are unaware of the user mappings, and mounting files from the host may become complex due to file permissions. At the same time, all the current implementations of **rootless containers** rely on user namespaces at their core. Not to be confused with what is referred to as non-root containers in this article, rootless containers are containers that can be run and managed by unprivileged users on the host. While Docker and other runtimes require a daemon running as root, rootless containers can be run by any user without additional capabilities. Rootless containers have some benefits over traditional containers, such as allowing users on a shared machine to run containers without admin permission (e.g. in university labs) and making it possible to run nested containers (even for non privileged containers). However the main motivation for designing rootless containers was, in fact, mitigating the aforementioned vulnerabilities in container runtimes^3^. The adoption of rootless containers is growing in trend. Major container tools like runc and Docker are releasing support for rootless, and new container engines and image builders have been released to allow for native rootless containers. [Podman](https://podman.io/), a daemonless container engine, is seemingly mature enough to [replace Docker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkBk52MGV0Y) with rootless containers alone. Although user namespaces are not the focus of this article, it is worth mentioning that they do provide additional security benefits to traditional non-root containers. Without user namespaces, even if a container process runs without root, any privilege escalation vulnerability in the container could still compromise the host. For example, a malicious container process could exploit a vulnerable setuid binary to become root. This would not be possible if the root user inside the container is mapped to a non-root user on the host. ### Building and running non-root containers In Docker, the [USER instruction](https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/builder/#user) can be used in a Dockerbuild file to change to any desired UID for all subsequent commands. The last USER instruction also determines which UID the container will run as by default. Many containers run all their build logic as root and add this instruction before the end of the build file. Docker also lets users run images or execute commands in a container with a particular UID by using the [--user flag](https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/run/#user). With Kubernetes, pods or containers can be further constricted to run as a specific UID through the runAsUser field of either a [Security Context](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/security-context/) or a [Pod Security Policy](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/policy/pod-security-policy/#users-and-groups). With Pod Security Policies it is also possible to restrict containers to run as UIDs within a selected range with the MustRunAs field, or simply prevent containers from running as root with the MustRunAsNonRoot field. ## Kubernetes issue CVE-2019-11245 Following the release of Kubelet v1.13.6 and v1.14.2, multiple Kubernetes users complained that their non-root containers were being run as root from their second execution^4^. Upon investigation of this issue, it was discovered to be a problem specific to dockershim, the Kubernetes component that runs Docker containers. Docker containers built to run as a non root users with the USER instruction were being run as root by Kubernetes, starting from their second execution. This was, of course, a security issue. Besides the previously mentioned dangers of running as root in containers, users may have relied on the user configurations for their design. For instance, users could have exposed volumes to containers in knowing they do not have root privilege. The issue was quickly fixed by [reverting](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/78261) a [certain commit](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/76665/commits/26e3c8674e66f0d10170d34f5445f0aed207387f) in the Kubelet code that broke the detection of an image UID. The broken logic was run only if the Docker image was previously pulled to the node, explaining why the bug only took place from the second execution or later. The two Kubelet releases with this commit (v1.13.6 and v1.14.2) were the only affected by this vulnerability. ## Takeaways The use of containers follows the principle of least privilege by its nature, as containers usually have limited responsibilities and capabilities. By restricting containers from using root when it is not strictly needed, we can further increase their security and prevent attackers from exploiting flaws that may be found in container engines. There is good reason to believe that in the not-so-far future container runtimes will enable user namespaces support by default and rootless containers will be adopted as the mainstream. Sure, current implementations have their handful of limitations, but soon enough developers will eliminate them as the reach of these projects grow. ^1^[https://docs.openshift.com/container-platform/3.3/creating\_images/guidelines.html#use-uid](https://docs.openshift.com/container-platform/3.3/creating_images/guidelines.html#use-uid) ^2^Currently the most common OCI implementation for container runtimes, used in Docker, see [in GitHub](https://github.com/opencontainers/runc) ^3^[Rootless Containers](https://www.slideshare.net/AkihiroSuda/rootless-containers?ref=https://rootlesscontaine.rs/), DevConf.CZ (Jan 25, 2019), Giuseppe Scrivano and Akihiro Suda ^4^See [https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/78178](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/78178), [https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/78175](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/78175) and [https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/78308](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/78308) Back to top ### Tags * [Containers](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/containers/ "Containers") * [CVE-2019-11245](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2019-11245/ "CVE-2019-11245") * [Kubernetes](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/kubernetes/ "Kubernetes") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Newly Registered Domains: Malicious Abuse by Bad Actors](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/newly-registered-domains-malicious-abuse-by-bad-actors/ "Newly Registered Domains: Malicious Abuse by Bad Actors") ### Table of Contents * ### Related Articles * [Copy Fail: What You Need to Know About the Most Severe Linux Threat in Years](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cve-2026-31431-copy-fail/ "article - table of contents") * [Understanding Current Threats to Kubernetes Environments](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/modern-kubernetes-threats/ "article - table of contents") * [Cloud Logging for Security and Beyond](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cloud-logging-for-security/ "article - table of contents") ## Related Resources ![Pictorial representation of how default AWS AgentCore Harness configurations allow prompt injection to exfiltrate AgentCore Identity credentials. Futuristic illustration with glowing neon lights and advanced technology motifs, depicting cloud computing and data flow through interconnected networks. The scene is highlighted by hovering digital clouds and dynamic, illuminated linear structures, set in a dramatic, blue and orange color scheme.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/03_Cloud_cybersecurity_research_Overview_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) September 18, 2026 [#### A Vault with a Heap-View: The Uncomfortable Space Between AgentCore Harness and Identity](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/securing-aws-agentcore-harness-credentials/) * [Agentic AI](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/agentic-ai/ "Agentic AI") * [AWS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/aws/ "AWS") * [Cloud](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cloud/ "Cloud") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/securing-aws-agentcore-harness-credentials/ "A Vault with a Heap-View: The Uncomfortable Space Between AgentCore Harness and Identity") ![Pictorial representation of automated detection. Digital illustration of a glowing blue brain connected to a network of lines and lights.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/12_Cloud_cybersecurity_research_Overview_1920x900-2-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) September 14, 2026 [#### Unmasking Cloud Identities: From Behavioral Clustering to Automated Detection](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/behavioral-clustering-map-to-cloud-identities/) * [AWS CloudTrail](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/aws-cloudtrail/ "AWS CloudTrail") * [Cloud detection](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cloud-detection/ "cloud detection") * [DevOps](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/devops/ "DevOps") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/behavioral-clustering-map-to-cloud-identities/ "Unmasking Cloud Identities: From Behavioral Clustering to Automated Detection") ![Pictorial representation of a group of people interacting with a dynamic 3D holographic display of colorful, undulating data waves on a table.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/11_Myth-Busting_Overview_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Insights-icon-white.svg)Insights](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/insights/) August 4, 2026 [#### The Frontier AI Vulnerability Burst: Industrializing Autonomous Zero-Day Discovery in Open-Source Software](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/frontier-ai-vulnerability-burst/) * [AI](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ai/ "AI") * [Frontier AI](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/frontier-ai/ "Frontier AI") * [Vulnerability Exploitation](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/vulnerability-exploitation/ "Vulnerability Exploitation") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/frontier-ai-vulnerability-burst/ "The Frontier AI Vulnerability Burst: Industrializing Autonomous Zero-Day Discovery in Open-Source Software") ![Pictorial representation of AI-enabled autonomous cyberattacks. A digital illustration depicting abstract, interconnected data streams in vibrant colors on a dark blue background](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AdobeStock_992950050-3-782x440.jpeg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) July 30, 2026 [#### Chinese-Speaking Threat Actor Harnesses AI Models for Autonomous Cyberattacks](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/autonomous-ai-cyber-attack-campaign/) * [ChatGPT](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/chatgpt/ "ChatGPT") * [Claude code](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/claude-code/ "Claude code") * [CVEs](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cves/ "CVEs") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/autonomous-ai-cyber-attack-campaign/ "Chinese-Speaking Threat Actor Harnesses AI Models for Autonomous Cyberattacks") ![Pictorial representation of three zero-day vulnerabilities in Siemens ROX II OT switches. Digital illustration of a global network featuring interconnected lines and nodes over a map of the world, highlighted with neon lights and digital elements.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/03_Vulnerabilities_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) July 17, 2026 [#### Three Steps to the Terminal: A Siemens ROX II Zero-Day Trilogy](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/siemens-rox-ii-zero-day-vulnerabilities/) * [Command injection](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/command-injection/ "Command injection") * [CVE-2025-40947](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2025-40947/ "CVE-2025-40947") * [CVE-2025-40948](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2025-40948/ "CVE-2025-40948") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/siemens-rox-ii-zero-day-vulnerabilities/ "Three Steps to the Terminal: A Siemens ROX II Zero-Day Trilogy") ![Pictorial representation of bucket hijacking technique for cloud data exfiltration. Digital illustration of Europe map highlighting network connections and nodes, depicted as glowing points and lines on a dark blue background, emphasizing major cities and connectivity across the continent.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/09_Cloud_cybersecurity_research_Overview_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) June 22, 2026 [#### The Global Namespace Risk: Universal Bucket Hijacking Technique for Cloud Data Exfiltration](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cloud-bucket-hijacking-risks/) * [AWS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/aws/ "AWS") * [Bucket hijacking](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/bucket-hijacking/ "bucket hijacking") * [Cloud data exfiltration](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cloud-data-exfiltration/ "cloud data exfiltration") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cloud-bucket-hijacking-risks/ "The Global Namespace Risk: Universal Bucket Hijacking Technique for Cloud Data Exfiltration") ![Pictorial representation of Vertex AI model uploads. Close-up view of a digital wall displaying various glowing icons, representing a high-tech network interface.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AdobeStock_1270203474-1-786x354.png) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) June 16, 2026 [#### Pickle in the Middle -- Hijacking Vertex AI Model Uploads for Cross-Tenant RCE](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/hijacking-vertex-ai-model/) * [Bucket squatting](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/bucket-squatting/ "bucket squatting") * [Google Cloud](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/google-cloud/ "Google Cloud") * [Joblib](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/joblib/ "joblib") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/hijacking-vertex-ai-model/ "Pickle in the Middle – Hijacking Vertex AI Model Uploads for Cross-Tenant RCE") ![Pictorial representation of Cloud Logging services for defense evasion. A vibrant digital illustration depicting a glowing, neon blue cloud symbol positioned over a circuit board landscape. The cloud symbolizes cloud computing technology, and the landscape features intricate electronic circuits with glowing lines and nodes, suggesting high-tech data transfer and connectivity.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/11_Cloud_cybersecurity_research_Overview_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) June 9, 2026 [#### Blinding the Watchmen: Abusing Cloud Logging Services for Defense Evasion and Visibility](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cloud-logging-defense-evasion/) * [AWS CloudTrail](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/aws-cloudtrail/ "AWS CloudTrail") * [Cloud logging](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cloud-logging/ "cloud logging") * [Defense evasion](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/defense-evasion/ "defense evasion") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cloud-logging-defense-evasion/ "Blinding the Watchmen: Abusing Cloud Logging Services for Defense Evasion and Visibility") ![Pictorial representation of PAN-OS CVE-2026-0257. A vibrant city skyline at night, with tall skyscrapers and glowing digital beams extending into the sky, suggesting advanced technology and connectivity.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/07_Vulnerabilities_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) June 9, 2026 [#### Threat Brief: Active Exploitation of PAN-OS CVE-2026-0257](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/active-exploitation-of-pan-os-cve-2026-0257/) * [CVE-2026-0257](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2026-0257/ "CVE-2026-0257") * [Vulnerability](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/vulnerability/ "vulnerability") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/active-exploitation-of-pan-os-cve-2026-0257/ "Threat Brief: Active Exploitation of PAN-OS CVE-2026-0257") ![Pictorial representation of ROADtools framework in the cloud. An Asian man wearing glasses sits in front of a computer screen. Reflecting in the glasses are lines indicating analysis. Bright blue city lights illuminate the rest of the image.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/10_Cloud_cybersecurity_research_Overview_1920x900-1-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) May 22, 2026 [#### Paved With Intent: ROADtools and Nation-State Tactics in the Cloud](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/roadtools-cloud-attacks/) * [Curious Serpens](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/curious-serpens/ "Curious Serpens") * [Entra ID](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/entra-id/ "Entra ID") * [Microsoft Azure](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/microsoft-azure/ "Microsoft Azure") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/roadtools-cloud-attacks/ "Paved With Intent: ROADtools and Nation-State Tactics in the Cloud") * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) ![Close button](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/close-modal.svg) ![Enlarged Image]() ![Newsletter](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/unit42-footer-subscribe-desktop.png) ![UNIT 42 Small Logo](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/palo-alto-logo-small.svg) Get updates from Unit 42 ## Peace of mind comes from staying ahead of threats. Subscribe today. Your Email Subscribe for email updates to all Unit 42 threat research. By submitting this form, you agree to our [Terms of Use](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/legal-notices/terms-of-use "Terms of Use") and acknowledge our [Privacy Statement.](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/legal-notices/privacy "Privacy Statement") This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. Invalid captcha! Subscribe ![Right Arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/right-arrow.svg) ![loader](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-loader.svg) {#footer} Products and Services * [AI-Powered Network Security Platform](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security) * [Secure AI by Design](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-security) * [Prisma AIRS](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-security/prisma-airs) * [AI Access Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/ai-access-security) * [Cloud Delivered Security Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/security-subscriptions) * [Advanced Threat Prevention](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-threat-prevention) * [Advanced URL Filtering](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-url-filtering) * [Advanced WildFire](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-wildfire) * [Advanced DNS Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-dns-security) * [Enterprise Data Loss Prevention](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/enterprise-data-loss-prevention) * [Enterprise IoT Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/enterprise-device-security) * [Medical IoT Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/medical-device-security) * [Industrial OT Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/ot-security-solution) * [SaaS Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/saas-security) * [Next-Generation Firewalls](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/next-generation-firewall) * [Hardware Firewalls](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/hardware-firewall-innovations) * [Software Firewalls](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/software-firewalls) * [Strata Cloud Manager](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/strata-cloud-manager) * [SD-WAN for NGFW](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/sd-wan-subscription) * [PAN-OS](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/pan-os) * [Panorama](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/panorama) * [Secure Access Service Edge](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase) * [Prisma SASE](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase) * [Application Acceleration](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/app-acceleration) * [Autonomous Digital Experience Management](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/adem) * [Enterprise DLP](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/enterprise-data-loss-prevention) * [Prisma Access](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/access) * [Prisma Browser](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/prisma-browser) * [Prisma SD-WAN](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/sd-wan) * [Remote Browser Isolation](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/remote-browser-isolation) * [SaaS Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sase/saas-security) * [AI-Driven Security Operations Platform](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex) * [Cloud Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cloud) * [Cortex Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cloud) * [Application Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cloud/application-security) * [Cloud Posture Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cloud/cloud-posture-security) * [Cloud Runtime Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cloud/runtime-security) * [Prisma Cloud](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/cloud) * [AI-Driven SOC](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex) * [Cortex XSIAM](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xsiam) * [Cortex XDR](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xdr) * [Cortex XSOAR](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xsoar) * [Cortex Xpanse](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xpanse) * [Unit 42 Managed Detection \& Response](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/content/pan/en_US/cortex/managed-detection-and-response) * [Managed XSIAM](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/managed-xsiam) * [Next-Generation Identity Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira) * [Privileged Access Management](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/human/privileged-access-management) * [Identity and Access Management](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/human/identity-and-access-management) * [Endpoint Privilege Manager](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/human/endpoint-privilege-manager) * [Identity Governance](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/human/identity-governance) * [Workforce Password Management](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/human/workforce-password-management) * [Agentic Identities](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/agentic) * [Secrets Management](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/machine/secrets-management) * [Unified Secrets Governance](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/machine/unified-secrets-governance) * [Application Credentials Delivery](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/machine/application-credentials-delivery) * [Vendor Privileged Access](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/idira/human/vendor-privileged-access) * [Threat Intel and Incident Response Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42) * [Prepare for Emerging Risks](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42/frontier-ai-defense) * [Strengthen Your Defenses](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42/strengthen-your-defenses) * [Build Your Security Strategy](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42/build-your-security-strategy) * [Understand the Adversary](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42/threat-intelligence) * [Respond to a Cyber Attack](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42/respond) Company * [About Us](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/about-us) * [Careers](https://jobs.paloaltonetworks.com/en/) * [Contact Us](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/company/contact-sales) * [Corporate Responsibility](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/about-us/corporate-responsibility) * [Customers](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/customers) * [Investor Relations](https://investors.paloaltonetworks.com/) * [Location](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/about-us/locations) * [Newsroom](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/company/newsroom) Popular Links * [Blog](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/) * [Communities](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/communities) * [Content Library](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/resources) * [Cyberpedia](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cyberpedia) * [Event Center](https://events.paloaltonetworks.com/) * [Manage Email Preferences](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/preference-center) * [Products A-Z](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/products/products-a-z) * [Product Certifications](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/legal-notices/trust-center/certifications) * [Report a Vulnerability](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/security-disclosure) * [Sitemap](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/sitemap) * [Tech Docs](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/) * [Unit 42](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/) * [Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information](https://panwedd.exterro.net/portal/dsar.htm?target=panwedd) ![Palo Alto Networks Logo](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/etc/clientlibs/clean/imgs/pan-logo-dark.svg) * [Privacy](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/legal-notices/privacy) * [Trust Center](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/legal-notices/trust-center) * [Terms of Use](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/legal-notices/terms-of-use) * [Documents](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/legal) Copyright © 2026 Palo Alto Networks. All Rights Reserved * [![Youtube](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/etc/clientlibs/clean/imgs/social/youtube-black.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/user/paloaltonetworks) * [![Podcast](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/content/dam/pan/en_US/images/icons/podcast.svg)](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/podcasts/threat-vector) * [![Facebook](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/etc/clientlibs/clean/imgs/social/facebook-black.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/PaloAltoNetworks/) * [![LinkedIn](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/etc/clientlibs/clean/imgs/social/linkedin-black.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/palo-alto-networks) * [![Twitter](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/etc/clientlibs/clean/imgs/social/twitter-x-black.svg)](https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks) * EN Select your language ![Play](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/player-play-icon.svg) ![Pause](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/player-pause-icon1.svg) ![Minimize](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-minimize.svg) ![Close button](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/close-modal.svg) ### Default Heading Read the article ![Right Arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/right-arrow.svg) Seekbar ![Play](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/player-play-icon.svg) ![Pause](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/player-pause-icon1.svg) ![Volume](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-volume.svg) Volume ![Minimize](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-minimize.svg)