kubectl cp allows symlink directory traversal
The kubectl cp command allows copying files between containers and the user machine. To copy files from a container, Kubernetes runs tar inside the container to create a tar archive, copies it over the network, and kubectl unpacks it on the user’s machine. If the tar binary in the container is malicious, it could run any code and output unexpected, malicious results. An attacker could use this to write files to any path on the user’s machine when kubectl cp is called, limited only by the system permissions of the local user. Kubernetes affected versions include versions prior to 1.12.9, versions prior to 1.13.6, versions prior to 1.14.2, and versions 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11.
- Published
- Aug 28, 2019
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 3.6% · 89th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-61
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Report tools
Action score
27
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 26 / 40 · 6.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 3.6%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 6.5
- CNA · kubernetes
- 6.4
- 0.1 point gap
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| kubernetes | kubernetes | cpe:2.3:a:kubernetes:kubernetes |
Using kubernetes? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (Kubernetes)
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- kubernetes kubernetes1.0.0 and later · up to 1.12.10 inclusive
- kubernetes kubernetes1.13.0 and later · before 1.13.9
- kubernetes kubernetes1.14.0 and later · before 1.14.5
- kubernetes kubernetes1.15.0 and later · before 1.15.2
- kubernetes kubernetes1.12.11
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (kubernetes). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Kubernetes Kubernetes
- prior to 1.12.9, prior to 1.13.6, prior to 1.14.2, 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10 … (+1)affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-clients | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-clients-redistributable | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-docker-excluder | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-excluder | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-hyperkube | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-hypershift | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-master | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-node | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-pod | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-sdn-ovs | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-template-service-broker | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | atomic-openshift-tests | before 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-clients | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-clients-redistributable | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-docker-excluder | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-excluder | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-hyperkube | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-hypershift | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-master | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-node | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-pod | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
| Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7 | atomic-openshift-sdn-ovs | before 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 | 0:3.11.117-1.git.0.14e54a3.el7 |
+16
Same product
kubernetes: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2018-1002105In all Kubernetes versions prior to v1.10.11, v1.11.5, and v1.12.3, incorrect handling of error responses to proxied upgrade requests in the65This week
- CVE-2019-11248Kubernetes kubelet exposes /debug/pprof info on healthz port55Plan
- CVE-2017-1002101In Kubernetes versions 1.3.x, 1.4.x, 1.5.x, 1.6.x and prior to versions 1.7.14, 1.8.9 and 1.9.4 containers using subpath volume mounts with 42Plan
- CVE-2018-1002101In Kubernetes versions 1.9.0-1.9.9, 1.10.0-1.10.5, and 1.11.0-1.11.1, user input was handled insecurely while setting up volume mounts on Wi40Plan
- CVE-2017-1000056Kubernetes version 1.5.0-1.5.4 is vulnerable to a privilege escalation in the PodSecurityPolicy admission plugin resulting in the ability to40Plan
- CVE-2016-1906Openshift allows remote attackers to gain privileges by updating a build configuration that was created with an allowed type to a type that 40Plan
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| red hat:atomic-openshift | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-clients | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-clients-redistributable | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-docker-excluder | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-excluder | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-hyperkube | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-hypershift | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-master | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-node | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-pod | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-sdn-ovs | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:atomic-openshift-template-service-broker | 0:3.10.149-1.git.0.05de590.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.10::el7 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-61 · UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) FollowingCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/76788
- groups.google.com/forum/#%21topic/kubernetes-security-announce/NLs2TGbfPdo
- security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190919-0003/
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.