CVE-2023-28841

mediumpriority · track · 27OT risk · elevatedEPSS 0.007 · 53 %ileDEEURUUS
grimoire priorityP3 · Track
Exploitable?
—
no known exploitation
Likely / severe?
0.69% (53rd) EPSS
CVSS 6.8 · medium
Is it mine?
18 products
Check your exposure
Who says so?
6 sources
cnnvd · enisa_euvd · fstec_bdu · osv

EPSS · scored 2026-10-27

Moby is an open source container framework developed by Docker Inc. that is distributed as Docker, Mirantis Container Runtime, and various other downstream projects/products. The Moby daemon component (`dockerd`), which is developed as moby/moby is commonly referred to as *Docker*. Swarm Mode, which is compiled in and delivered by default in `dockerd` and is thus present in most major Moby downstreams, is a simple, built-in container orchestrator that is implemented through a combination of SwarmKit and supporting network code. The `overlay` network driver is a core feature of Swarm Mode, providing isolated virtual LANs that allow communication between containers and services across the cluster. This driver is an implementation/user of VXLAN, which encapsulates link-layer (Ethernet) frames in UDP datagrams that tag the frame with the VXLAN metadata, including a VXLAN Network ID (VNI) that identifies the originating overlay network. In addition, the overlay network driver supports an optional, off-by-default encrypted mode, which is especially useful when VXLAN packets traverses an untrusted network between nodes. Encrypted overlay networks function by encapsulating the VXLAN datagrams through the use of the IPsec Encapsulating Security Payload protocol in Transport mode. By deploying IPSec encapsulation, encrypted overlay networks gain the additional properties of source authentication through cryptographic proof, data integrity through check-summing, and confidentiality through encryption. When setting an endpoint up on an encrypted overlay network, Moby installs three iptables (Linux kernel firewall) rules that enforce both incoming and outgoing IPSec. These rules rely on the `u32` iptables extension provided by the `xt_u32` kernel module to directly filter on a VXLAN packet's VNI field, so that IPSec guarantees can be enforced on encrypted overlay networks without interfering with other overlay networks or other users of VXLAN. An iptables rule designates outgoing VXLAN datagrams with a VNI that corresponds to an encrypted overlay network for IPsec encapsulation. Encrypted overlay networks on affected platforms silently transmit unencrypted data. As a result, `overlay` networks may appear to be functional, passing traffic as expected, but without any of the expected confidentiality or data integrity guarantees. It is possible for an attacker sitting in a trusted position on the network to read all of the application traffic that is moving across the overlay network, resulting in unexpected secrets or user data disclosure. Thus, because many database protocols, internal APIs, etc. are not protected by a second layer of encryption, a user may use Swarm encrypted overlay networks to provide confidentiality, which due to this vulnerability this is no longer guaranteed. Patches are available in Moby releases 23.0.3, and 20.10.24. As Mirantis Container Runtime's 20.10 releases are numbered differently, users of that platform should update to 20.10.16. Some workarounds are available. Close the VXLAN port (by default, UDP port 4789) to outgoing traffic at the Internet boundary in order to prevent unintentionally leaking unencrypted traffic over the Internet, and/or ensure that the `xt_u32` kernel module is available on all nodes of the Swarm cluster.

01

cvss

Technical severity, 0–10. One row per scoring source.

6.8
010

base score 0–10 · higher = more severe · hover a vector to decode

v3.16.8mediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:Nprimary · NVD / NIST USexploitability 2.2 · impact 4
v3.16.8mediumAV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:Nsecondary · FSTEC (BDU) RU
v3.16.8mediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:Nsecondary · ENISA EU
v3.16.8mediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:Nsecondary · security-advisories@github.comexploitability 2.2 · impact 4
v3.16.8mediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:Nsecondary · OSV
v3.16.2mediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N/E:Usecondary · CVSS-BT (t0sche)
02

ssvc

A stakeholder decision — act, attend, or track — from exploitation and impact.

Trackcoordinatorcisa_ssvcUS
03

weaknesses

The CWE weakness classes this flaw belongs to.

04

affected products (18)

Products and version ranges known to be affected.

05

advisories (5)

Vendor and ecosystem advisories describing this.

  • WID-SEC-W-2023-1183docker: Mehrere SchwachstellenDeutsch2023-05-09csaf · cert_bundDE

    Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in docker ausnutzen, um Sicherheitsmaßnahmen zu umgehen, vertrauliche Informationen offenzulegen, einen Denial-of-Service-Zustand auszulösen, seine Privilegien zu erweitern und Daten zu manipulieren.

  • WID-SEC-W-2024-0794Dell ECS: Mehrere SchwachstellenDeutsch2024-04-04csaf · cert_bundDE

    Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Dell ECS ausnutzen, um seine Privilegien zu erweitern, beliebigen Programmcode mit Administratorrechten auszuführen, Informationen offenzulegen, Dateien zu manipulieren, einen Cross-Site-Scripting-Angriff durchzuführen, Sicherheitsvorkehrungen zu umgehen oder einen Denial of Service Zustand herbeizuführen.

  • WID-SEC-W-2024-1591Juniper JUNOS: Mehrere SchwachstellenDeutsch2024-07-10csaf · cert_bundDE

    Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Juniper JUNOS ausnutzen, um einen Denial of Service zu verursachen, Informationen offenzulegen, Privilegien zu erweitern und Sicherheitsmechanismen inklusive zu umgehen.

  • GHSA-33pg-m6jh-5237Docker Swarm encrypted overlay network traffic may be unencrypted2023-04-04ghsa · osvUS

    [Moby](https://mobyproject.org/) is an open source container framework developed by Docker Inc. that is distributed as Docker, Mirantis Container Runtime, and various other downstream projects/products. The Moby daemon component (`dockerd`), which is developed as [moby/moby](https://github.com/moby/moby) is commonly referred to as *Docker*. Swarm Mode, which is compiled in and delivered by default in `dockerd` and is thus present in most major Moby downstreams, is a simple, built-in container orchestrator that is implemented through a combination of [SwarmKit](https://github.com/moby/swarmkit) and supporting network code. The `overlay` network driver is a core feature of Swarm Mode, providing isolated virtual LANs that allow communication between containers and services across the cluster. This driver is an implementation/user of [VXLAN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Extensible_LAN), which encapsulates link-layer (Ethernet) frames in UDP datagrams that tag the frame with a VXLAN Network ID (VNI) that identifies the originating overlay network. In addition, the overlay network driver supports an optional, off-by-default encrypted mode, which is especially useful when VXLAN packets traverses an untrusted network between nodes. Encrypted overlay networks function by encapsulating the VXLAN datagrams through the use of the [IPsec Encapsulating Security Payload](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPsec#Encapsulating_Security_Payload) protocol in [Transport mode](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPsec#Transport_mode). By deploying IPSec encapsulation, encrypted overlay networks gain the additional properties of source authentication through cryptographic proof, data integrity through check-summing, and confidentiality through encryption. When setting an endpoint up on an encrypted overlay network, Moby installs three [iptables](https://www.netfilter.org/projects/iptables/index.html) (Linux kernel firewall) rules that enforce both incoming and outgoing IPSec. These rules rely on the `u32` iptables extension provided by the `xt_u32` kernel module to directly filter on a VXLAN packet's VNI field, so that IPSec guarantees can be enforced on encrypted overlay networks without interfering with other overlay networks or other users of VXLAN. An [iptables rule](https://github.com/moby/libnetwork/blob/d9fae4c73daf76c3b0f77e14b45b8bf612ba764d/drivers/overlay/encryption.go#L205-L207) designates outgoing VXLAN datagrams with a VNI that corresponds to an encrypted overlay network for IPsec encapsulation. On Red Hat Enterprise Linux and derivatives such as CentOS and Rocky, the `xt_u32` module has been: * [moved to the kernel-modules-extra package and no longer installed by default in RHEL 8.3](https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/8/html/8.3_release_notes/rhel-8-3-0-release#technology-preview_networking) * [officially deprecated in RHEL 8.6](https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/8/html/8.6_release_notes/deprecated_functionality#deprecated-functionality_networking) * [removed completely in RHEL 9](https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/9/html/considerations_in_adopting_rhel_9/assembly_networking_considerations-in-adopting-rhel-9#ref_firewall-networking_assembly_networking) This rule is not created when `xt_u32` is unavailable, even though the container is still attached to the network. ## Impact Encrypted overlay networks on affected platforms silently transmit unencrypted data. As a result, `overlay` networks may appear to be functional, passing traffic as expected, but without any of the expected confidentiality or data integrity guarantees. It is possible for an attacker sitting in a trusted position on the network to read all of the application traffic that is moving across the overlay network, resulting in unexpected secrets or user data disclosure. Thus, because many database protocols, internal APIs, etc. are not protected by a second layer of encryption, a user may rely on Swarm encrypted overlay networks to provide confidentiality, which due to this vulnerability is no longer guaranteed. ## Patches Patches are available in Moby releases 23.0.3, and 20.10.24. As Mirantis Container Runtime's 20.10 releases are numbered differently, users of that platform should update to 20.10.16. ## Workarounds * Close the VXLAN port (by default, UDP port 4789) to outgoing traffic at the Internet boundary (see [GHSA-vwm3-crmr-xfxw](https://github.com/moby/moby/security/advisories/GHSA-vwm3-crmr-xfxw)) in order to prevent unintentionally leaking unencrypted traffic over the Internet. * Ensure that the `xt_u32` kernel module is available on all nodes of the Swarm cluster. ## Background * [#43382 ](https://github.com/moby/moby/issues/43382)partially discussed this concern, but did not consider the security implications. * Mirantis FIELD-5788 essentially duplicates [#43382](https://github.com/moby/moby/issues/43382), and was created six months earlier; it similarly overlooked the security implications. * [#45118](https://github.com/moby/moby/pull/45118) is the ancestor of the final patches, and was where the security implications were discovered. ## Related * [CVE-2023-28840: Encrypted overlay network may be unauthenticated](https://github.com/moby/moby/security/advisories/GHSA-232p-vwff-86mp) * [CVE-2023-28842: Encrypted overlay network with a single endpoint is unauthenticated](https://github.com/moby/moby/security/advisories/GHSA-6wrf-mxfj-pf5p) * [GHSA-vwm3-crmr-xfxw: The Swarm VXLAN port may be exposed to attack due to ambiguous documentation](https://github.com/moby/moby/security/advisories/GHSA-vwm3-crmr-xfxw) * [GHSA-gvm4-2qqg-m333: Security issues in encrypted overlay networks](https://github.com/moby/libnetwork/security/advisories/GHSA-gvm4-2qqg-m333) (libnetwork)

  • GO-2023-1700Docker Swarm encrypted overlay network traffic may be unencrypted in github.com/docker/docker2024-08-20vendor · osvUS

    Docker Swarm encrypted overlay network traffic may be unencrypted in github.com/docker/docker

06

also known as (6)

Other names and identifiers for this entity.

07

sources

Which sources assert this record, and when.

09

references (36)

External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.

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