Podman rootless containers and the Copy Fail exploit

A newly public bug called Copy Fail has security-minded users doing the internet version of clutching pearls. The article’s big takeaway is that yes, the trick can still grab admin-like control inside a container when using Podman’s "rootless" mode, but the damage appears far more boxed in than many people fear. In plain English: the attacker can cause trouble in the app’s little sandbox, but they don’t automatically get the keys to the whole machine.

But the real fireworks are in the comments. One camp basically rolled its eyes and said the article focused too much on the flashy demo of replacing su to get root, instead of the scarier broader issue: if a bug lets you overwrite files you were only supposed to read, creative attackers can do way more than the sample stunt. Another commenter flat-out declared anyone fixating on the demo exploit “unimaginative,” then dropped a war story about turning harmless web server config access into root years ago. Peak hacker flex.

Then came the doomposting. One user said they simply do not trust the Linux kernel anymore to keep processes apart, no matter how many safety belts you add, and called for micro virtual machines instead. And for comic relief, someone suggested a gladiator-style website where people try to break out of every container type still standing — because at this point, joked another commenter, maybe we’re all just living in a fantasy of security anyway. In short: Podman got some credit, but the crowd still smells smoke.