A critical security breach was discovered in the Kong Ingress Controller version 3.4.0 when an attacker gained access to Kong’s DockerHub account and replaced the legitimate image with a malicious one. The image contained cryptojacking code that directed the compromised systems to mine cryptocurrency by connecting to a specific mining site. This issue was first identified on January 2nd, 2025, and it affected only the 3.4.0 version of the Kong Ingress Controller. The malicious image was uploaded on December 23rd, 2024, and systems running it began experiencing high CPU usage.
Kong’s security team took immediate action upon discovering the breach
Kong’s security team took immediate action upon discovering the breach by removing the compromised image from DockerHub and rotating all access keys used for DockerHub. They also released a fixed version, 3.4.1, on January 2nd, 2025, which eliminated the cryptojacking code. To mitigate the effects of the attack, Kong urged affected users to remove the vulnerable image from their internal registries and replace it with either the patched version 3.4.1 or a clean version of 3.4.0. Specific image hashes were provided for both AMD64 and ARM64 systems to help users ensure they were using the correct, secure versions.
Dan Lorenc, CEO of Chainguard, provided insights into the breach, highlighting the vulnerability in the software supply chain that allowed the attacker to upload a malicious image. He recommended that developers lock down and regularly audit systems with access to Personal Access Tokens (PATs) and suggested using OIDC-based authentication systems to avoid similar breaches. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of artifact signing, even when OIDC is not feasible, to enhance the security of release images. For end-users, Lorenc recommended pinning images by digest, scanning for malware, and verifying signatures before upgrading.
The impact of the attack goes beyond just resource consumption and could have significant security implications. Cryptojacking increases energy costs and CPU usage, potentially leading to slower system performance. Moreover, the compromised image could have introduced additional vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to gain further access to affected systems. This breach underscores the critical need for robust software supply chain security, particularly for container images, and highlights the importance of using image integrity verification and conducting regular security audits to protect against such attacks.
