Auth bypass in Kyverno
CVE-2026-122304
Kyverno from 1.17.0 before 1.19.2 contains an authorization bypass vulnerability that allows namespace admins to escape namespace confinement because the cleanup controller builds its context loader with a nil policy. Attackers can create a namespaced CleanupPolicy with apiCall or globalReference context entries to read cross-namespace Secrets and modify validatingwebhookconfigurations using the cleanup controller's ServiceAccount.
Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 9.9 (Critical). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
No EPSS score from FIRST.org yet. New CVEs usually get one within a few days; no score means no signal yet, not low risk. How EPSS works.
Affected products
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-p58h-r4j3-h5vx) (vendor-advisory)
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-rcxg-3f92-3mgr) (vendor-advisory)
- VulnCheck Advisory: Kyverno 1.17.0 before 1.19.2 Privilege Escalation via CleanupPolicy Context Loader (third-party-advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-122304?
- CVE-2026-122304 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Kyverno, classified under Incorrect Authorization. CVSS score: 9.9/10. Published 2026-11-05.
- How severe is CVE-2026-122304?
- Critical severity. CVSS v3 base score is 9.9 out of 10.