CPENT Practice Question: Privilege Escalation Lateral Movement And Post Exploitation
A tester gains code execution on a Linux host inside a Docker container and discovers they can access the Docker socket (/var/run/docker.sock) from within the container. How can the tester exploit this to escape the container and compromise the host?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Run 'docker run -v /:/hostfs --rm -it alpine chroot /hostfs' to mount the host root directory inside a new container.
Access to /var/run/docker.sock allows the container to interact with the host's Docker daemon. The tester can spin up a new container that mounts the host's root filesystem (/) and provides a chroot or direct execution shell on the host.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Modify /etc/passwd inside the container to add a root user.
Why it's wrong here
Modifying container files has no effect on the underlying host operating system.
- ✓
Run 'docker run -v /:/hostfs --rm -it alpine chroot /hostfs' to mount the host root directory inside a new container.
Why this is correct
Mounting the host root filesystem via the Docker socket enables complete host compromise.
- ✗
Send a SIGKILL signal to the docker daemon process via kill -9 1.
Why it's wrong here
Killing the daemon will crash Docker locally but will not escape the container.
- ✗
Execute 'sudo su' inside the container environment.
Why it's wrong here
Standard containers run as root internally; this does not grant host access without socket exploitation.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This CPENT practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CPENT exam.