A malicious container image that contains a symlink in the WORKDIR field can cause the container runtime to resolve that symlink and create a new directory or modify ownership on the host filesystem. The vulnerability is a classic path traversal flaw (CWE‑59) that allows an attacker to influence a container's filesystem operations to reach unintended locations on the host. While the ability to change ownership is limited by the need for a race condition or an additional untrusted process, the ability to create directories or files can be leveraged for persistence or to facilitate further attacks. The impact is local but can lead to privilege escalation or tampering of host data if the attacker gains sufficient control.

Podman Container Tools, Podman, versions 3.0.0 through 5.7.1 are affected; the fix is included in 5.7.1 and later releases.

The CVSS score of 5.3 indicates moderate severity and the EPSS score is < 1%, meaning no quantified exploitation likelihood is currently reported. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Because the attack requires a malicious container image and the ability to resolve a symlink during WORKDIR processing, the attack vector is likely local but could be leveraged by users who pull untrusted images or run privileged containers. The risk to a host is significant if the attacker can influence where files are written or directories are created on the host filesystem.