---
title: "HOST-CTR-003 Privileged or Host-Namespace Containers"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-CTR-003.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-CTR-003.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# HOST-CTR-003 Privileged or Host-Namespace Containers

Looks for containers running privileged, sharing the host's PID, network or IPC namespace, or with dangerous added capabilities.

- Domain: Server
- Severity: High
- Control category: Secure Configuration
- Fix effort: medium
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- CIS Controls v8: 4.1
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-01
- CWE: CWE-250, CWE-653
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AC-6, SC-39

## Why It Matters

A privileged container, or one with CAP_SYS_ADMIN or host namespaces, has almost no isolation: a compromise of the application inside is a compromise of the host.

## How It Detects

Reads /var/lib/docker/containers/*/hostconfig.json (needs root) and reports Privileged true, PidMode/NetworkMode/IpcMode host, or CapAdd containing ALL, SYS_ADMIN, SYS_PTRACE, SYS_MODULE or NET_ADMIN.

## How to Fix

Recreate each container without --privileged, --pid=host, --net=host and --ipc=host; drop all capabilities and add back only the specific ones needed (--cap-drop=ALL --cap-add=...).

## How to Verify

```
docker inspect --format '{{.Name}} {{.HostConfig.Privileged}} {{.HostConfig.PidMode}} {{.HostConfig.NetworkMode}} {{.HostConfig.CapAdd}}' $(docker ps -aq)
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P9 Containers and Kubernetes](https://openvapt.com/academy/p9.md)

## References

- [NIST SP 800-190, Application Container Security Guide](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/190/final)
- [OWASP Docker Security Cheat Sheet](https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/Docker_Security_Cheat_Sheet.html)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/host/containers.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only HOST-CTR-003`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain HOST-CTR-003`.

---

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