CVE-2026-65960

Summary

Tetragon versions before 1.7.0 expose an unauthenticated gRPC API on localhost:54321 by default, allowing same-node attackers with hostNetwork access to invoke privileged operations like modifying tracing policies or changing debug settings without authentication. This bypasses authentication entirely (CWE-306) and can lead to privilege escalation or container escape.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires the attacker to run or compromise a pod on the same node with hostNetwork access to reach the localhost:54321 listener; it is straightforward if those conditions are met.

Blast radius

Successful exploitation enables full control over Tetragon’s runtime enforcement and observability policies, potentially leading to privilege escalation, container escape, or disabling of security monitoring across the node.

Detection

Defenders should monitor for connections to localhost:54321 from hostNetwork pods in logs from Tetragon’s gRPC server or network monitoring tools; additionally, inspect Tetragon configuration for active TCP listeners on port 54321. No reliable host or network indicator is derivable from the published description if the listener is not explicitly logged.

Prioritized remediation

Upgrade to Tetragon version 1.7.0 or later, which changes the default gRPC endpoint to a Unix-domain socket; for deployments unable to upgrade immediately, disable the unauthenticated TCP listener by explicitly configuring a secure endpoint (e.g., Unix socket) and removing any exposed TCP listener configuration.

Analysis generated locally by garnet-coder (no data left the box). AI-assisted — verify against primary sources before acting.