How to gain root access to an existing docker container?

Question

Able to get a response from the docker hub basex container:

nicholas $ 
nicholas $ lynx http://localhost:8984/ --dump
No function found that matches the request.
nicholas $

Ran the container as:

root $ 
root $ docker run -ti     -d     --name basexhttp     --publish 1984:1984     --publish 8984:8984     --volume "$(pwd)/basex/data":/srv/basex/data     basex/basexhttp:latest
71cbb84cf53143d00e6009d1ea5caa9de96c094c5d6aefc11cad95188b976776
root $ 
root $ docker container list
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                    COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS              PORTS                                                      NAMES
71cbb84cf531        basex/basexhttp:latest   "/usr/local/bin/mvn-…"   26 seconds ago      Up 23 seconds       0.0.0.0:1984->1984/tcp, 0.0.0.0:8984->8984/tcp, 8985/tcp   basexhttp
root $ 
root $ docker run -ti basex/basexhttp:latest bash
bash-4.4$ 
bash-4.4$ whoami
basex
bash-4.4$ 
bash-4.4$ pwd
/srv
bash-4.4$ 
bash-4.4$ sudo su -
bash: sudo: command not found
bash-4.4$ 
bash-4.4$ su -
su: must be suid to work properly
bash-4.4$

but how do I gain root access?

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 04 '20 at 08:28

Solution is to use exec as:

root@doge:~# 
root@doge:~# docker run -ti     -d     --name basexhttp     --publish 1984:1984     --publish 8984:8984     --volume "$(pwd)/basex/data":/srv/basex/data     basex/basexhttp:latest
5699af1dc04aa9c78066222e4b0b8e5621aa2ab9dd2bd46bcd87c6a0377c1960
root@doge:~# 
root@doge:~# docker container list
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                    COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS              PORTS                                                      NAMES
5699af1dc04a        basex/basexhttp:latest   "/usr/local/bin/mvn-…"   33 seconds ago      Up 30 seconds       0.0.0.0:1984->1984/tcp, 0.0.0.0:8984->8984/tcp, 8985/tcp   basexhttp
root@doge:~# 
root@doge:~# docker exec -ti --user root basexhttp bash
bash-4.4# 
bash-4.4# whoami
root
bash-4.4# 
bash-4.4# su basex
~ $ 
~ $ whoami
basex
~ $ 
~ $ exit
bash-4.4# exit
exit
root@doge:~# 
root@doge:~# docker container list
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                    COMMAND                  CREATED              STATUS              PORTS                                                      NAMES
5699af1dc04a        basex/basexhttp:latest   "/usr/local/bin/mvn-…"   About a minute ago   Up About a minute   0.0.0.0:1984->1984/tcp, 0.0.0.0:8984->8984/tcp, 8985/tcp   basexhttp
root@doge:~# 
root@doge:~# docker ps -a
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                    COMMAND                  CREATED              STATUS              PORTS                                                      NAMES
5699af1dc04a        basex/basexhttp:latest   "/usr/local/bin/mvn-…"   About a minute ago   Up About a minute   0.0.0.0:1984->1984/tcp, 0.0.0.0:8984->8984/tcp, 8985/tcp   basexhttp
root@doge:~#

How to gain root access to an existing docker container?

1 Answers1