CVE-2026-41184

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 0.50%

Last modified

CVE-2026-41184 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. In Calico, the install-cni init container logs the rendered CNI configuration to standard output. When the configuration template uses the __SERVICEACCOUNT_TOKEN__ placeholder (Canal/Flannel-Calico deployments), the installer substitutes the live Kubernetes ServiceAccount bearer token before logging, exposing the token to any authenticated user with pods/log permission in the namespace with calico-node. EPSS estimates a 0.50% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In Calico, the install-cni init container logs the rendered CNI configuration to standard output. When the configuration template uses the __SERVICEACCOUNT_TOKEN__ placeholder (Canal/Flannel-Calico deployments), the installer substitutes the live Kubernetes ServiceAccount bearer token before logging, exposing the token to any authenticated user with pods/log permission in the namespace with calico-node. The token holds patch privileges on pods/status, enabling annotation-based attacks against cluster workloads. The default kubeconfig-based authentication path is not affected. This is a direct regression of TTA-2018-001.

Metrics

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
TigeraCalico< 3.21.7
TigeraCalico< 3.32.0
TigeraCalico< 22.4.0
TigeraCalico>= 3.22.0, < 3.22.3

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41184?
In Calico, the install-cni init container logs the rendered CNI configuration to standard output. When the configuration template uses the __SERVICEACCOUNT_TOKEN__ placeholder (Canal/Flannel-Calico deployments), the installer substitutes the live Kubernetes ServiceAccount bearer token before logging, exposing the token to any authenticated user with pods/log permission in the namespace with calico-node. The token holds patch privileges on pods/status, enabling annotation-based attacks against cluster workloads. The default kubeconfig-based authentication path is not affected. This is a direct regression of TTA-2018-001.
How severe is CVE-2026-41184?
CVE-2026-41184 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.50% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-41184?
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.

How Strix Helps

Related CVEs from 2026

Are you affected by CVE-2026-41184?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST