On a compromised KubeVirt node, the virt-handler service account can be used to modify all node specs
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.
- Published
- Mar 15, 2023
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.6% · 47th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-863
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Report tools
Action score
32
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 32 / 40 · 8.2 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.6%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 8.2
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 8.2
- agree
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; 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 helpAffected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| kubevirt | kubevirt | cpe:2.3:a:kubevirt:kubevirt |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- kubevirt kubevirtup to 0.59.0 inclusive
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
kubevirt kubevirt
- <= 0.59.0affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go | kubevirt.io/kubevirt | up to and including 0.59.0 | — |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | kubevirt | before 0.59.0-2.1 | 0.59.0-2.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | kubevirt-1.8 | before 1.8.3-1.1 | 1.8.3-1.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | kubevirt1.8 | before 1.8.3-1.1 | 1.8.3-1.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | kubevirt | before 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 | 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | kubevirt | before 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 | 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 |
Same product
kubevirt: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2020-14316A flaw was found in kubevirt 0.29 and earlier.39Monitor
- CVE-2025-64324KubeVirt Vulnerable to Arbitrary Host File Read and Write34Monitor
- CVE-2026-13201Kubevirt: virt-handler-rhel9: kubevirt: safepath symlink following in virt-handler enables notify socket hijacking and node-level vm disruption29Monitor
- CVE-2025-64436KubeVirt Excessive Role Permissions Could Enable Unauthorized VMI Migrations Between Nodes27Monitor
- CVE-2026-13208Kubevirt: virt-handler-rhel9: kubevirt: virt-handler notify server trusts vmi identity from unauthenticated grpc request body26Monitor
- CVE-2025-64433KubeVirt Arbitrary Container File Read26Monitor
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 |
|---|---|---|
| opensuse:kubevirt | 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:kubevirt-1.8 | 1.8.3-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:kubevirt1.8 | 1.8.3-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:kubevirt | 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | 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.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
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
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- none
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-863 · Incorrect AuthorizationCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/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.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/issues/9109
- github.com/kubevirt/kubevirt/security/advisories/GHSA-cp96-jpmq-xrr2
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.