CVE-2023-40029: Argo CD is a declarative continuous deployment for Kubernetes. Argo CD Cluster secrets might be managed declaratively using Argo CD / kubectl apply. A...

Description

Argo CD is a declarative continuous deployment for Kubernetes. Argo CD Cluster secrets might be managed declaratively using Argo CD / kubectl apply. As a result, the full secret body is stored in`kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration` annotation. pull request #7139 introduced the ability to manage cluster labels and annotations. Since clusters are stored as secrets it also exposes the `kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration` annotation which includes full secret body. In order to view the cluster annotations via the Argo CD API, the user must have `clusters, get` RBAC access. **Note:** In many cases, cluster secrets do not contain any actually-secret information. But sometimes, as in bearer-token auth, the contents might be very sensitive. The bug has been patched in versions 2.8.3, 2.7.14, and 2.6.15. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should update/deploy cluster secret with `server-side-apply` flag which does not use or rely on `kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration` annotation. Note: annotation for existing secrets will require manual removal.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.6/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.97%

57.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Argoproj	Argo Cd	>= 2.2.0, < 2.6.15
Argoproj	Argo Cd	>= 2.7.0, < 2.7.14
Argoproj	Argo Cd	>= 2.8.0, < 2.8.3

References

https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/commit/4b2e5b06bff2ffd8ed1970654ddd8e55fc4a41c4Patch
https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/pull/7139Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/security/advisories/GHSA-fwr2-64vr-xv9mExploit, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/commit/4b2e5b06bff2ffd8ed1970654ddd8e55fc4a41c4Patch
https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/pull/7139Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/security/advisories/GHSA-fwr2-64vr-xv9mExploit, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 7, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-40029?

Argo CD is a declarative continuous deployment for Kubernetes. Argo CD Cluster secrets might be managed declaratively using Argo CD / kubectl apply. As a result, the full secret body is stored in`kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration` annotation. pull request #7139 introduced the ability to manage cluster labels and annotations. Since clusters are stored as secrets it also exposes the `kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration` annotation which includes full secret body. In order to view the cluster annotations via the Argo CD API, the user must have `clusters, get` RBAC access. **Note:** In many cases, cluster secrets do not contain any actually-secret information. But sometimes, as in bearer-token auth, the contents might be very sensitive. The bug has been patched in versions 2.8.3, 2.7.14, and 2.6.15. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should update/deploy cluster secret with `server-side-apply` flag which does not use or rely on `kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration` annotation. Note: annotation for existing secrets will require manual removal.

How severe is CVE-2023-40029?

CVE-2023-40029 has a CVSS score of 9.6/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.97% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-40029?

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.