CVE-2020-11091

CVE-2020-11091 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Weave Weave Net with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-350.

Key facts

Description

In Weave Net before version 2.6.3, an attacker able to run a process as root in a container is able to respond to DNS requests from the host and thereby insert themselves as a fake service. In a cluster with an IPv4 internal network, if IPv6 is not totally disabled on the host (via ipv6.disable=1 on the kernel cmdline), it will be either unconfigured or configured on some interfaces, but it's pretty likely that ipv6 forwarding is disabled, ie /proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf//forwarding == 0. Also by default, /proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf//accept_ra == 1. The combination of these 2 sysctls means that the host accepts router advertisements and configure the IPv6 stack using them. By sending rogue router advertisements, an attacker can reconfigure the host to redirect part or all of the IPv6 traffic of the host to the attacker controlled container. Even if there was no IPv6 traffic before, if the DNS returns A (IPv4) and AAAA (IPv6) records, many HTTP libraries will try to connect via IPv6 first then fallback to IPv4, giving an opportunity to the attacker to respond. If by chance you also have on the host a vulnerability like last year's RCE in apt (CVE-2019-3462), you can now escalate to the host. Weave Net version 2.6.3 disables the accept_ra option on the veth devices that it creates.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-11091?
In Weave Net before version 2.6.3, an attacker able to run a process as root in a container is able to respond to DNS requests from the host and thereby insert themselves as a fake service. In a cluster with an IPv4 internal network, if IPv6 is not totally disabled on the host (via ipv6.disable=1 on the kernel cmdline), it will be either unconfigured or configured on some interfaces, but it's pretty likely that ipv6 forwarding is disabled, ie /proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf//forwarding == 0. Also by default, /proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf//accept_ra == 1. The combination of these 2 sysctls means that the host accepts router advertisements and configure the IPv6 stack using them. By sending rogue router advertisements, an attacker can reconfigure the host to redirect part or all of the IPv6 traffic of the host to the attacker controlled container. Even if there was no IPv6 traffic before, if the DNS returns A (IPv4) and AAAA (IPv6) records, many HTTP libraries will try to connect via IPv6 first then fallback to IPv4, giving an opportunity to the attacker to respond. If by chance you also have on the host a vulnerability like last year's RCE in apt (CVE-2019-3462), you can now escalate to the host. Weave Net version 2.6.3 disables the accept_ra option on the veth devices that it creates.
How severe is CVE-2020-11091?
CVE-2020-11091 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2020-11091 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (54th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-11091?
CVE-2020-11091 affects Weave Weave Net. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-11091?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2020-11091 published?
CVE-2020-11091 was published on 2020-06-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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