performing-container-escape-detection

name	performing-container-escape-detection
description	Detects container escape attempts by analyzing namespace configurations, privileged container checks, dangerous capability assignments, and host path mounts using the kubernetes Python client. Identifies CVE-2022-0492 style escapes via cgroup abuse. Use when auditing container security posture or investigating escape attempts.
domain	cybersecurity
subdomain	container-security
tags	["performing","container","escape","detection"]
version	1.0
author	mahipal
license	Apache-2.0
nist_csf	["PR.PS-01","PR.IR-01","ID.AM-08","DE.CM-01"]

Performing Container Escape Detection

When to Use

• When conducting security assessments that involve performing container escape detection
• When following incident response procedures for related security events
• When performing scheduled security testing or auditing activities
• When validating security controls through hands-on testing

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with container security concepts and tools
• Access to a test or lab environment for safe execution
• Python 3.8+ with required dependencies installed
• Appropriate authorization for any testing activities

Instructions

Audit Kubernetes pods for container escape vectors including privileged mode, dangerous capabilities, host namespace sharing, and writable hostPath mounts.

from kubernetes import client, config
config.load_kube_config()
v1 = client.CoreV1Api()

pods = v1.list_pod_for_all_namespaces()
for pod in pods.items:
    for container in pod.spec.containers:
        sc = container.security_context
        if sc and sc.privileged:
            print(f"PRIVILEGED: {pod.metadata.namespace}/{pod.metadata.name}")

Key escape vectors:

1. Privileged containers (full host access)
2. CAP_SYS_ADMIN capability
3. Host PID/Network/IPC namespace sharing
4. Writable hostPath mounts to / or /etc
5. Docker socket mount (/var/run/docker.sock)

Examples

# Check for docker socket mounts
for vol in pod.spec.volumes or []:
    if vol.host_path and "docker.sock" in (vol.host_path.path or ""):
        print(f"Docker socket exposed: {pod.metadata.name}")