type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--4a5b7ade-8bb5-4853-84ed-23f262002665
created: 2021-03-30T17:38:34.277Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1611
external_id: T1611
source_name: Container Escape
description: 0xn3va. (n.d.). Escaping. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
url: https://0xn3va.gitbook.io/cheat-sheets/container/escaping
source_name: Broadcom VMSA-2025-004
description: Broadcom. (2025, March 6). VMSA-2025-0004: Questions & Answers. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
url: https://github.com/vmware/vcf-security-and-compliance-guidelines/tree/main/security-advisories/vmsa-2025-0004
source_name: Windows Server Containers Are Open
description: Daniel Prizmant. (2020, July 15). Windows Server Containers Are Open, and Here's How You Can Break Out. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
url: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/windows-server-containers-vulnerabilities/
source_name: Docker Overview
description: Docker. (n.d.). Docker Overview. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
url: https://docs.docker.com/get-started/overview/
source_name: Docker Bind Mounts
description: Docker. (n.d.). Use Bind Mounts. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
url: https://docs.docker.com/storage/bind-mounts/
source_name: Trend Micro Privileged Container
description: Fiser, D., Oliveira, A.. (2019, December 20). Why a Privileged Container in Docker is a Bad Idea. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
url: https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/19/l/why-running-a-privileged-container-in-docker-is-a-bad-idea.html
source_name: Intezer Doki July 20
description: Fishbein, N., Kajiloti, M.. (2020, July 28). Watch Your Containers: Doki Infecting Docker Servers in the Cloud. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
url: https://www.intezer.com/blog/cloud-security/watch-your-containers-doki-infecting-docker-servers-in-the-cloud/
source_name: Crowdstrike Kubernetes Container Escape
description: Manoj Ahuje. (2022, January 31). CVE-2022-0185: Kubernetes Container Escape Using Linux Kernel Exploit. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
url: https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/cve-2022-0185-kubernetes-container-escape-using-linux-kernel-exploit/
source_name: Keyctl-unmask
description: Mark Manning. (2020, July 23). Keyctl-unmask: "Going Florida" on The State Of Containerizing Linux Keyrings. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
url: https://www.antitree.com/2020/07/keyctl-unmask-going-florida-on-the-state-of-containerizing-linux-keyrings/
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-10-24T17:48:44.317Z
name: Escape to Host
description: Adversaries may break out of a container or virtualized environment to gain access to the underlying host. This can allow an adversary access to other containerized or virtualized resources from the host level or to the host itself. In principle, containerized / virtualized resources should provide a clear separation of application functionality and be isolated from the host environment.(Citation: Docker Overview)

There are multiple ways an adversary may escape from a container to a host environment. Examples include creating a container configured to mount the host’s filesystem using the bind parameter, which allows the adversary to drop payloads and execute control utilities such as cron on the host; utilizing a privileged container to run commands or load a malicious kernel module on the underlying host; or abusing system calls such as `unshare` and `keyctl` to escalate privileges and steal secrets.(Citation: Docker Bind Mounts)(Citation: Trend Micro Privileged Container)(Citation: Intezer Doki July 20)(Citation: Container Escape)(Citation: Crowdstrike Kubernetes Container Escape)(Citation: Keyctl-unmask)

Additionally, an adversary may be able to exploit a compromised container with a mounted container management socket, such as `docker.sock`, to break out of the container via a [Container Administration Command](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1609).(Citation: Container Escape) Adversaries may also escape via [Exploitation for Privilege Escalation](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1068), such as exploiting vulnerabilities in global symbolic links in order to access the root directory of a host machine.(Citation: Windows Server Containers Are Open)

In ESXi environments, an adversary may exploit a vulnerability in order to escape from a virtual machine into the hypervisor.(Citation: Broadcom VMSA-2025-004)

Gaining access to the host may provide the adversary with the opportunity to achieve follow-on objectives, such as establishing persistence, moving laterally within the environment, accessing other containers or virtual machines running on the host, or setting up a command and control channel on the host.
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: privilege-escalation
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.2.0
x_mitre_contributors: Yuval Avrahami, Palo Alto Networks
Daniel Prizmant, Palo Alto Networks
Alfredo Oliveira, Trend Micro
David Fiser, @anu4is, Trend Micro
Idan Frimark, Cisco
Magno Logan, @magnologan, Trend Micro
Ariel Shuper, Cisco
Yossi Weizman, Azure Defender Research Team
Vishwas Manral, McAfee
CrowdStrike
Eran Ayalon, Cybereason
Oren Ofer, Cybereason
Ilan Sokol, Cybereason
Joas Antonio dos Santos, @C0d3Cr4zy
x_mitre_deprecated: no
x_mitre_domains: enterprise-attack
x_mitre_is_subtechnique: no
x_mitre_modified_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
x_mitre_platforms: Windows
Linux
Containers
ESXi
x_mitre_version: 1.6