CVE-2025-7342
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA security issue was discovered in the Kubernetes Image Builder where default credentials are enabled during the Windows image build process when using the Nutanix or VMware OVA providers. These credentials, which allow root access, are disabled at the conclusion of the build. Kubernetes clusters are only affected if their nodes use VM images created via the Image Builder project and the vulnerability was exploited during the build process, which requires an attacker to access the build VM and modify the image while the build is in progress.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceKubernetes Image Builder leaves default root credentials enabled during Windows VM image builds when using Nutanix or VMware OVA providers. An attacker with access to the build VM during the image creation process can exploit these enabled credentials to gain root access and modify the image. The credentials are properly disabled when the build completes, so only images built while under active compromise are affected.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if Kubernetes Image Builder is in useSearch for image-builder project files, such as packer templates, ansible playbooks from the image-builder repository, or CI/CD pipelines referencing image-builder components. Check for /home/*/image-builder/ or similar installation directories on build runners.Affected if Image Builder is actively used or was previously used in the environment.
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Determine the configured providersReview Image Builder configuration files (e.g., packer/*.pkr.hcl, conf/*.yaml, or cloud-init configs) for provider definitions. Look specifically for 'nutanix' or 'vmware-iso'/'vmware-ova' entries in the provider list.Affected if Nutanix or VMware OVA providers are configured for image builds.
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Confirm Windows image buildsInspect the build configuration or CI/CD job history to identify if Windows-based node images were being built. Look for variables such as 'os_type=windows', 'iso_path' pointing to Windows ISOs, or packer builder names containing 'windows'.Affected if Windows node images were being built with Image Builder using affected providers.
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Assess build environment integrityReview build runner logs, SSH access logs, and audit trails for the build VMs during the time window when Windows images were being constructed. Look for unexpected login events, unfamiliar processes, or indicators of compromise on the build infrastructure.Affected if The build VM was potentially compromised or accessed by unauthorized parties during active Windows image construction.
You are affected if Kubernetes Image Builder was used to build Windows images with Nutanix or VMware OVA providers while the build environment was potentially compromised, as only images built under active compromise retain the enabled root credentials.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedOrganizations should audit their VM image provenance to determine if Windows node images were built with Image Builder using affected providers during an active build compromise, and rebuild affected images using a patched Image Builder version with verified clean build environments.
Latest stable Kubernetes Image Builder release containing the CVE-2025-7342 fix
- Upgrade Kubernetes Image Builder to the latest stable release that addresses CVE-2025-7342
- Verify that the fixed version disables default credentials immediately upon initialization rather than at build completion
- If using Nutanix or VMware OVA providers for Windows images, ensure all newly created images use the patched Image Builder version
- Audit existing deployed images created during the vulnerable build window: if the build VM was accessed by untrusted parties during build, consider recreating those node images
- Implement build environment access controls: restrict access to the build VM during image creation to trusted personnel only
- Verify the image build process completes without any unauthorized modifications
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-7342 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-7342 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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