diff --git a/pkg/cri/sbserver/container_create_linux.go b/pkg/cri/sbserver/container_create_linux.go
index 2676a872b..57200441c 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/sbserver/container_create_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/sbserver/container_create_linux.go
@@ -136,8 +136,7 @@ func (c *criService) containerSpecOpts(config *runtime.ContainerConfig, imageCon
 	} else if securityContext.GetRunAsUser() != nil {
 		userstr = strconv.FormatInt(securityContext.GetRunAsUser().GetValue(), 10)
 	} else if imageConfig.User != "" {
-		parts := strings.Split(imageConfig.User, ":")
-		userstr = parts[0]
+		userstr, _, _ = strings.Cut(imageConfig.User, ":")
 	}
 	specOpts = append(specOpts, customopts.WithAdditionalGIDs(userstr),
 		customopts.WithSupplementalGroups(securityContext.GetSupplementalGroups()))
diff --git a/pkg/cri/server/container_create_linux.go b/pkg/cri/server/container_create_linux.go
index 4a9e37394..d4206c654 100644
--- a/pkg/cri/server/container_create_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/cri/server/container_create_linux.go
@@ -372,8 +372,7 @@ func (c *criService) containerSpecOpts(config *runtime.ContainerConfig, imageCon
 	} else if securityContext.GetRunAsUser() != nil {
 		userstr = strconv.FormatInt(securityContext.GetRunAsUser().GetValue(), 10)
 	} else if imageConfig.User != "" {
-		parts := strings.Split(imageConfig.User, ":")
-		userstr = parts[0]
+		userstr, _, _ = strings.Cut(imageConfig.User, ":")
 	}
 	specOpts = append(specOpts, customopts.WithAdditionalGIDs(userstr),
 		customopts.WithSupplementalGroups(securityContext.GetSupplementalGroups()))