Kyverno 1.17.0 before 1.19.2 Privilege Escalation via CleanupPolicy Context Loader
Kyverno 1.17.0 through 1.19.1 is affected when namespaced CleanupPolicy resources use apiCall or globalReference context entries, and the cleanup controller is enabled by default. Fixed in 1.19.2.
Written by anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5 from the sources below. Verify against them.
- Exploited
- No known exploitation
- Fix
- Fixed in 1.19.2
- Who is exposed
- Specific setups only
Do first: Check whether your setup matches what the bug needs. Kyverno version 1.17.0 through 1.19.1 (before 1.19.2) Attacker can create a namespaced CleanupPolicy with apiCall or globalReference context entries The cleanup controller is enabled by default
- Last modified
- FIRST's estimate of the chance attackers exploit it in the next 30 days, updated daily.What do these mean? →
- 0.39% · 33rd percentile
- A 0-100 score for how much a CVE matters across the industry: exploitation, exposure, how widely the software is used, severity and whether a fix exists.What do these mean? →
- 17/100 · provisional
- How many real-world setups can hit the bug, from the vendor's advisory and CISA data. It does not know your setup.What do these mean? →
- Specific setups only
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
Summary
Kyverno, a Kubernetes policy engine, from 1.17.0 before 1.19.2 has a privilege escalation flaw in its CleanupPolicy context loader. Remotely, with low-privilege login, an attacker who is a namespace admin can create a namespaced CleanupPolicy to read cross-namespace Secrets and modify validatingwebhookconfigurations using the cleanup controller's ServiceAccount, escaping namespace confinement.
Read the original description
Kyverno from 1.17.0 before 1.19.2 contains an authorization bypass vulnerability that allows namespace admins to escape namespace confinement because the cleanup controller builds its context loader with a nil policy. Attackers can create a namespaced CleanupPolicy with apiCall or globalReference context entries to read cross-namespace Secrets and modify validatingwebhookconfigurations using the cleanup controller's ServiceAccount.
cve.now Index
- Exploitation?/40Unknown. No CISA SSVC exploitation rating yet
- Exposure8/25Specific setups only, reachable over the network
- Reach?/20Unknown. No tracked technology or package matched
- Severity9.4/10CVSS 9.4
- No patch0/5No signal
What would change the score
- Would score about 67 if added to CISA KEV
- Would score about 62 if CISA's SSVC rates exploitation active
- Would score about 24 if CISA's SSVC rates it automatable
What to do
Check whether your setup matches what the bug needs.
Kyverno version 1.17.0 through 1.19.1 (before 1.19.2) Attacker can create a namespaced CleanupPolicy with apiCall or globalReference context entries The cleanup controller is enabled by defaultUpgrade to a fixed version: 1.19.2.
Timeline
- CVE published
- First seen by cve.now
- Posted on X by cve.now
Affected versions
- kyverno kyverno
From 1.17.0 · fixed in 1.19.2
Evidence 3
- Advisory
- Advisory
- Link
Corrections
None so far.
Something wrong on this page? Report an error. Every fix is listed here.
Questions about CVE-2026-122304
Is CVE-2026-122304 being exploited?
It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.Source: cve.now feed data
What does this mean?
A namespace admin can create a namespaced CleanupPolicy with apiCall or globalReference context entries and use the cleanup controller's ServiceAccount to read Secrets in other namespaces and modify validatingwebhookconfigurations, escaping namespace confinement.Source: github.com, vulncheck.com
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-122304?
kyverno: from 1.17.0 before 1.19.2.Source: cve.now feed data
Am I affected, and how do I check?
Kyverno versions 1.17.0 through 1.19.1 (before 1.19.2) are affected. Check the installed Kyverno version, and check whether any namespaced CleanupPolicy uses apiCall or globalReference context entries, since the cleanup controller is enabled by default.Source: github.com, vulncheck.com
How do I fix CVE-2026-122304?
Upgrade Kyverno to 1.19.2, which contains the fix.Source: github.com, vulncheck.com