Container Toolkit: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
CVE-2025-23359 is a high-severity time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in Container Toolkit from NVIDIA, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Container Toolkit versions: All versions up to and including 1.17.3. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 3.67% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 90% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Nvidia Container Toolkit to 1.17.4 or a later version.
- Update Nvidia GPU Operator to 24.9.2 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on nvidia.custhelp.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | Container Toolkit | All versions up to and including 1.17.3 | Not stated |
| NVIDIA | GPU Operator | All versions up to and including 24.9.1 | Not stated |
| NVIDIA | Nvidia Container Toolkit | before 1.17.4 | 1.17.4 |
| NVIDIA | Nvidia GPU Operator | before 24.9.2 | 24.9.2 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.3 | High | CNA (nvidia.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.1 | High | NVD |
Official description
NVIDIA Container Toolkit for Linux contains a Time-of-Check Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) vulnerability when used with default configuration, where a crafted container image could gain access to the host file system. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to code execution, denial of service, escalation of privileges, information disclosure, and data tampering.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- The most basic advice for TOCTOU vulnerabilities is to not perform a check before the use. This does not resolve the underlying issue of the execution of a function on a resource whose state and identity cannot be assured, but it does help to limit the false sense of security given by the check.
- When the file being altered is owned by the current user and group, set the effective gid and uid to that of the current user and group when executing this statement.
- Limit the interleaving of operations on files from multiple processes.
More Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities (CWE-367)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Technical write-ups (may include proof of concept)
- thehackernews.com/2025/04/incomplete-patch-in-nvidia-toolkit.htmlExploit, Press/Media Coverage
Other vulnerabilities in Container Toolkit
- 8.5 High severity
- 8.5 High severity
- 9.0 Critical severity
- 8.3 High severity
Recent Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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