CVE-2026-13318: Virt-api-rhel9: kubevirt: kubevirt: ssrf in virt-api port-forward via unvalidated guest-agent-reported ip
A server-side request forgery (SSRF) flaw was found in KubeVirt's virt-api port-forward handler. The function getTargetInterfaceIP (pkg/virt-api/rest/dialers.go) returns vmi.Status.Interfaces[0].IP without validation, which is then passed to net.Dial(). For VMIs using non-masquerade bindings (bridge or secondary-only), this IP is reported by the QEMU guest agent inside the VM and is fully controllable by the VM owner.
A tenant with kubevirt.io:edit permissions can create a VM with a modified guest agent reporting an arbitrary IP, then request port-forward to establish a bidirectional TCP tunnel from virt-api's cluster-internal network position to any routable destination.
The default masquerade binding uses the cluster-assigned pod IP and is NOT affected.
Other sources
A server-side request forgery (SSRF) flaw was found in KubeVirt's virt-api port-forward handler. When processing a port-forward request to a VirtualMachineInstance (VMI), virt-api reads the target IP from vmi.Status.Interfaces[0].IP and passes it directly to net.Dial() without validation. For VMIs using non-masquerade network bindings (bridge or secondary-only), this IP is reported by the QEMU guest agent running inside the VM and is fully controllable by the VM owner. An attacker with kubevirt.io:edit permissions can create a VM with a modified guest agent that reports an arbitrary IP address, then request port-forward to establish a bidirectional TCP tunnel from virt-api's cluster-internal network position to any routable destination, bypassing NetworkPolicy isolation.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-13318?
CVE-2026-13318 has a medium severity rating of 6.4.
How do I fix CVE-2026-13318?
To mitigate CVE-2026-13318, ensure that the target IP in the port-forward request is validated before processing.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-13318?
CVE-2026-13318 is classified as a server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability.
What component is affected by CVE-2026-13318?
CVE-2026-13318 affects the KubeVirt virt-api port-forward handler.
What can an attacker achieve with CVE-2026-13318?
An attacker could exploit CVE-2026-13318 to make unauthorized requests to internal services by leveraging the SSRF flaw.