CVE-2026-23881

Name: CVE-2026-23881
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2026-01-27T17:16:12.733+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 0.53%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2026-23881 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. Kyverno is a policy engine designed for cloud native platform engineering teams. Versions prior to 1.16.3 and 1.15.3 have unbounded memory consumption in Kyverno's policy engine that allows users with policy creation privileges to cause denial of service by crafting policies that exponentially amplify string data through context variables. EPSS estimates a 0.53% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Kyverno is a policy engine designed for cloud native platform engineering teams. Versions prior to 1.16.3 and 1.15.3 have unbounded memory consumption in Kyverno's policy engine that allows users with policy creation privileges to cause denial of service by crafting policies that exponentially amplify string data through context variables. Versions 1.16.3 and 1.15.3 contain a patch for the vulnerability.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.53%

40.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-770

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Kyverno	Kyverno	< 1.15.3
Kyverno	Kyverno	>= 1.16.0, < 1.16.3

References

https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno/commit/7a651be3a8c78dcabfbf4178b8d89026bf3b850fPatch
https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno/commit/f5617f60920568a301740485472bf704892175b7Patch
https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno/security/advisories/GHSA-r2rj-wwm5-x6mqExploit, Mitigation, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 27, 2026
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-23881?

How severe is CVE-2026-23881?

CVE-2026-23881 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.53% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-23881?

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.

Are you affected by CVE-2026-23881?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST