Disclaimer: The CVEs in these stories are real, but the names of people involved are fictional for privacy and storytelling purposes.
In this post, we’ll hear a ghost story that could strike fear into the hearts of any developer. This story describes a false negative: a case where a scanner didn’t report a vulnerability that an image actually contained.
Although the scanner correctly finds the affected package, the metadata from the vulnerability database is insufficient to report that the image is affected by CVE-2023-2454! Fortunately, there’s a happy ending: Chainguard Images often contain fixes for even vulnerabilities that a scanner misses.
The story
In the world of software development, there exists a chilling tale of a vulnerability that eluded the watchful eyes of the most diligent scanners. Gather 'round, dear readers, as we unveil the eerie ghost story of CVE-2023-2454—a vulnerability matching a false negative that haunts the depths of container security.

The scanner had done its duty, or so it seemed. But there was an unsettling aura in the air—a vulnerability, a phantom known as CVE-2023-2454, silently lurking within the PostgreSQL image.
With trembling hands, Alex commanded Trivy to unearth the vulnerabilities, to cast light upon the shadows. And as the results flowed in, they beheld a spooky revelation:
But, alas! There was no trace of CVE-2023-2454, the ghostly vulnerability that held the image in its grip. It was as if the darkness had swallowed this sinister secret, leaving Alex to ponder the chilling reality of a vulnerability matching a false negative.
The image was consumed by the phantom vulnerability, and yet the scanner's eyes remained silent to its presence.
But fear not, dear developers, for with Chainguard Images, a glimmer of hope emerges from the depths of the crypt.

The vulnerability, CVE-2023-2454, was vanquished. With Chainguard's enchantment, even the most elusive of vulnerabilities were eradicated from the digital underworld.
So, dear developers, as you embark on your own journey, remember the harrowing tale of CVE-2023-2454. Be vigilant, for vulnerabilities may hide in the darkest corners, and false negatives may seek to deceive. Seek out the magic of fast, automatic vulnerability updates in Chainguard Images, for it may hold the key to banishing the spectral threats that haunt your code. Happy Halloween!