CVE-2023-26484: On a compromised KubeVirt node, the virt-handler service account can be used to modify all node specs

Published Mar 15, 2023
·
Updated

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.

Other sources

On a compromised KubeVirt node the virt-handler service account can be used to modify all node specs

Microsoft

Affected Software

4 affected componentsFixes available
Kubevirt Kubevirt Kubernetes<=0.59.0
Microsoft azl3 kubevirt 1.2.0-1
Microsoft cbl2 kubevirt 0.59.0-20
Microsoft azl3 kubevirt 0.59.0-14

Event History

Mar 15, 2023
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:40 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:40 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Jun 30, 2024
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·02:00 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·02:00 PM
Affected Software
Updated
via Microsoft·02:00 PM
DescriptionSeverity
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2023-26484?

CVE-2023-26484 is a vulnerability in KubeVirt, a virtual machine management add-on for Kubernetes, where a malicious user with control over a Kubernetes node can modify all node specs.

2

How does CVE-2023-26484 impact KubeVirt?

CVE-2023-26484 allows an attacker who has compromised a Kubernetes node running virt-handler to modify all node specs, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control over the Kubernetes cluster.

3

What is the severity of CVE-2023-26484?

CVE-2023-26484 has a severity rating of 8.2 (high).

4

Which versions of KubeVirt are affected by CVE-2023-26484?

Versions up to and including 0.59.0 of KubeVirt are affected by CVE-2023-26484.

5

How can I fix CVE-2023-26484 in KubeVirt?

To fix CVE-2023-26484, it is recommended to update KubeVirt to a version higher than 0.59.0 to mitigate the vulnerability.

Contact

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