CVE-2023-26484: KubeVirt is a virtual machine management add-on for Kubernetes. In versions 0.59.0 and prior, if a malicious user has taken over a Kubernetes node whe...

Description

KubeVirt is a virtual machine management add-on for Kubernetes. In versions 0.59.0 and prior, if a malicious user has taken over a Kubernetes node where virt-handler (the KubeVirt node-daemon) is running, the virt-handler service account can be used to modify all node specs. This can be misused to lure-in system-level-privileged components which can, for instance, read all secrets on the cluster, or can exec into pods on other nodes. This way, a compromised node can be used to elevate privileges beyond the node until potentially having full privileged access to the whole cluster. The simplest way to exploit this, once a user could compromise a specific node, is to set with the virt-handler service account all other nodes to unschedulable and simply wait until system-critical components with high privileges appear on its node. No patches are available as of time of publication. As a workaround, gatekeeper users can add a webhook which will block the `virt-handler` service account to modify the spec of a node.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

8.2/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

EPSS Probability

0.61%

44.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-863

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Kubevirt	Kubevirt	<= 0.59.0

References

https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/issues/9109Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/security/advisories/GHSA-cp96-jpmq-xrr2Mitigation, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/issues/9109Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/security/advisories/GHSA-cp96-jpmq-xrr2Mitigation, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 15, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-26484?

KubeVirt is a virtual machine management add-on for Kubernetes. In versions 0.59.0 and prior, if a malicious user has taken over a Kubernetes node where virt-handler (the KubeVirt node-daemon) is running, the virt-handler service account can be used to modify all node specs. This can be misused to lure-in system-level-privileged components which can, for instance, read all secrets on the cluster, or can exec into pods on other nodes. This way, a compromised node can be used to elevate privileges beyond the node until potentially having full privileged access to the whole cluster. The simplest way to exploit this, once a user could compromise a specific node, is to set with the virt-handler service account all other nodes to unschedulable and simply wait until system-critical components with high privileges appear on its node. No patches are available as of time of publication. As a workaround, gatekeeper users can add a webhook which will block the `virt-handler` service account to modify the spec of a node.

How severe is CVE-2023-26484?

CVE-2023-26484 has a CVSS score of 8.2/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.61% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-26484?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.