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2026-05-12 19:39CVE-2026-44218GitHub_M
PUBLISHED5.2CWE-269

ciguard: Container image runs as root (no USER directive)

ciguard is a static security auditor for CI/CD pipelines. From 0.1.0 to 0.8.1, the published ghcr.io/jo-jo98/ciguard container image inherits the default root user because the Dockerfile lacks a USER directive. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.8.2.

Problem type

Affected products

Jo-Jo98

ciguard

>= 0.1.0, < 0.8.2 - AFFECTED

References

https://github.com/Jo-Jo98/ciguard/security/advisories/GHSA-jrm4-4pcf-4763

https://github.com/Jo-Jo98/ciguard/security/advisories/GHSA-jrm4-4pcf-4763

x_refsource_CONFIRM

GitHub Security Advisories

GHSA-jrm4-4pcf-4763

ciguard: Container image runs as root (no USER directive)

https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jrm4-4pcf-4763

Summary

The published ghcr.io/jo-jo98/ciguard container image inherits the default root user because the Dockerfile lacks a USER directive. ciguard is a static analyser with no need for root privileges; running as root inside a container makes any future container-runtime escape CVE more impactful than it needs to be.

Threat scenario

Defence-in-depth gap. Without a known container-runtime CVE in the chain, this finding is not directly exploitable. Recent runc CVEs (e.g. CVE-2024-21626) provided escape primitives that depended on host UID = container UID = 0 for full impact; with this fix, any future such escape primitive lands as a non-root user on the host.

Patch

  • Dockerfile adds RUN groupadd -r ciguard && useradd -r -g ciguard -d /home/ciguard -m -s /usr/sbin/nologin ciguard && chown -R ciguard:ciguard /reports /policies-mount /app.
  • Followed by USER ciguard before the CMD directive.
  • Trivy DS-0002 misconfig clears (Tests: 20 SUCCESSES: 20 FAILURES: 0).

Discovery

Found by Trivy filesystem scan during ciguard's first self-conducted pentest cycle, 2026-04-26.

CVSS Scoring

  • CVSS v3.1: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N — 2.0 (Low)
  • CVSS v4.0: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N — 3.4 (Low) per Cycle 1 report; GitHub's calc 1.8 (Low). Both Low.

Verification

$ docker run --rm ghcr.io/jo-jo98/ciguard:v0.8.2 id
uid=999(ciguard) gid=999(ciguard) groups=999(ciguard)

Resources

github.com

https://github.com/Jo-Jo98/ciguard/security/advisories/GHSA-jrm4-4pcf-4763

github.com

https://github.com/Jo-Jo98/ciguard/releases/tag/v0.8.2

github.com

https://github.com/Jo-Jo98/ciguard/releases/tag/v0.8.3

nvd.nist.gov

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44218

github.com

https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jrm4-4pcf-4763

JSON source

https://cveawg.mitre.org/api/cve/CVE-2026-44218
Click to expand
{
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "cveMetadata": {
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    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-05-12T19:39:16.632Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-05-05T15:42:40.517Z",
    "datePublished": "2026-05-12T19:39:16.632Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "providerMetadata": {
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M",
        "dateUpdated": "2026-05-12T19:39:16.632Z"
      },
      "title": "ciguard: Container image runs as root (no USER directive)",
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        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "ciguard is a static security auditor for CI/CD pipelines. From 0.1.0 to 0.8.1, the published ghcr.io/jo-jo98/ciguard container image inherits the default root user because the Dockerfile lacks a USER directive. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.8.2."
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "vendor": "Jo-Jo98",
          "product": "ciguard",
          "versions": [
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              "version": ">= 0.1.0, < 0.8.2",
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      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "description": "CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management",
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          ]
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      "references": [
        {
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      "metrics": [
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          "cvssV3_1": {
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            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N",
            "attackVector": "LOCAL",
            "attackComplexity": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "HIGH",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
            "integrityImpact": "LOW",
            "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
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            "baseSeverity": "LOW"
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}