CVE-2025-8114

What it actually does

Null pointer dereference during libssh session ID calculation in KEX when cryptographic allocation fails, resulting in client or server process crash.

Why it matters to the business

Causes denial-of-service against SSH-dependent services and tools, leading to connection failures and operational disruption in environments using the affected library; low exploit probability but affects container credential helpers.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local low-privileged access crafts conditions to induce memory allocation failure inside libssh cryptographic routines during key exchange; the resulting NULL dereference terminates the SSH process.

How to fix it

Upgrade docker-credential-gcr-fips (Chainguard) to version 2.1.30-r3 or later; rebuild or redeploy any images depending on the vulnerable package.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm installed package version meets or exceeds the fixed release; test SSH connectivity and monitor for absence of crashes during KEX under memory pressure.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local access to the target system
2. Initiate or observe an SSH key exchange that triggers allocation failure in libssh crypto functions
3. Trigger NULL pointer dereference causing process termination

How to detect it

Inspect system and application logs for segmentation faults or abrupt terminations in libssh-using processes during key exchange; correlate with memory allocation events.

What your security team should do

• Apply the listed package upgrade immediately in all Chainguard-based environments
• Scan container images and runtime instances for the vulnerable version
• Review SSH service logs for unexpected crashes coinciding with key exchange