CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2019-5021 — Versions of the Official Alpine Linux Docker images (since v3.3) contain a NULL password for the `root` user

Critical CVSS 9.8

Versions of the Official Alpine Linux Docker images (since v3.3) contain a NULL password for the `root` user. This vulnerability appears to be the result of a regression introduced in December of 2015. Due to the nature of this issue, systems deployed using affected versions of the Alpine Linux container which utilize Linux PAM, or some other mechanism which uses the system shadow file as an authentication database, may accept a NULL password for the `root` user.

Severity
Critical
CVSS
9.8 (3.1)
Published
2019-05-08
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-258

Affected products

  • gliderlabs / docker-alpine
  • opensuse / leap / 15.0
  • opensuse / leap / 15.1
  • f5 / big-ip_controller / 1.2.1

Matched remediation archetype

General vulnerability remediation

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Check exposure

  • Confirm the affected component, deployment paths, reachable interfaces, and enabled features from inventories and configuration, without probing production destructively.
  • Compare the advisory's affected conditions with the repository lockfiles, build manifests, artifacts, and runtime inventory.
  • Identify data sensitivity, trust boundaries, and privilege level for every confirmed affected deployment.

Remediate safely

  • Apply a vendor-supported fix or remove the affected component or feature; record the selected change and its source in the repository.
  • Update direct and transitive dependency locks, generated artifacts, deployment manifests, and asset inventories together.
  • Add a regression test for the documented unsafe condition using inert inputs and preserve rollback instructions.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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