{"description":"Trending threats, MITRE ATT\u0026CK coverage, and detection metadata. Fed continuously.","feed_url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/products/cloud-init/feed.json","home_page_url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/","items":[{"_cs_actors":[],"_cs_cpes":[],"_cs_cves":[],"_cs_exploited":false,"_cs_has_poc":false,"_cs_poc_references":[],"_cs_products":["cloud-init"],"_cs_severities":["high"],"_cs_tags":["privilege-escalation","linux"],"_cs_type":"advisory","_cs_vendors":["Red Hat"],"content_html":"\u003cp\u003eA vulnerability exists within the cloud-init component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. An attacker positioned on an adjacent network can exploit this flaw to escalate their privileges to administrator level. This poses a significant risk, as successful exploitation grants the attacker full control over the affected system, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and further lateral movement within the network. Defenders must prioritize patching and implement detection measures to mitigate this risk.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"attack-chain\"\u003eAttack Chain\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker gains access to a network adjacent to the target Red Hat Enterprise Linux system.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker crafts a malicious cloud-init configuration.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker injects the malicious cloud-init configuration into the target system (details of the injection method are unspecified).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe cloud-init service processes the malicious configuration.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDue to the vulnerability, processing the configuration triggers unintended code execution with elevated privileges.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker leverages the elevated privileges to create a new administrator account.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker logs in to the system using the newly created administrator account.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacker performs malicious activities, such as installing malware, exfiltrating data, or further compromising the network.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"impact\"\u003eImpact\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccessful exploitation of this vulnerability results in complete compromise of the targeted Red Hat Enterprise Linux system. The attacker gains full administrator privileges, allowing them to perform any action on the system. This could lead to data theft, system downtime, installation of backdoors, and further propagation of the attack to other systems on the network. The number of potential victims is dependent on the number of vulnerable Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems within an organization\u0026rsquo;s infrastructure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"recommendation\"\u003eRecommendation\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApply the latest security patches for cloud-init on Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems to remediate the vulnerability.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonitor systems for unexpected process creation by the cloud-init service (\u003ccode\u003e/usr/bin/cloud-init\u003c/code\u003e) with the Sigma rule provided below.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClosely monitor user account creation events for suspicious activity, especially accounts created shortly after cloud-init processes execute.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n","date_modified":"2026-05-19T08:41:18Z","date_published":"2026-05-19T08:41:18Z","id":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/briefs/2026-05-redhat-cloud-init-privesc/","summary":"A vulnerability in the cloud-init component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux allows an attacker from an adjacent network to gain administrator privileges.","title":"Red Hat Enterprise Linux Cloud-Init Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/briefs/2026-05-redhat-cloud-init-privesc/"}],"language":"en","title":"CraftedSignal Threat Feed — Cloud-Init","version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1"}