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NVD / CVE Program· CNA kubernetes

CVE-2019-11251: kubectl cp allows symlink directory traversal

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 23/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 2.6% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 85.4% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: k8s.io/kubernetes (Go) 1.13.11, 1.14.7, 1.16.0; govulncheck-vulndb (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 0.0.20250807T150727-1.1; atomic-openshift (Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7) 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to k8s.io/kubernetes (Go) 1.13.11, 1.14.7, 1.16.0; govulncheck-vulndb (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 0.0.20250807T150727-1.1; atomic-openshift (Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7) 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

The Kubernetes kubectl cp command in versions 1.1-1.12, and versions prior to 1.13.11, 1.14.7, and 1.15.4 allows a combination of two symlinks provided by tar output of a malicious container to place a file outside of the destination directory specified in the kubectl cp invocation. This could be used to allow an attacker to place a nefarious file using a symlink, outside of the destination tree.

MediumCVSS 5.7 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Feb 3, 2020
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
2.6% · 85th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

23

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.7 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 2.6%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
5.7
CNA · kubernetes
4.8
0.9 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

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  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
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  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
kuberneteskubernetes

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When you'll hear from us

  • when a new CVE affecting this product is published
  • when a record in your stack enters KEV or gets exploit code

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  • 10 scans an hour on the security tools (3 a day without an account), an API key and MCP
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Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • kubernetes kubernetes1.13.0 and later · before 1.13.11
  • kubernetes kubernetes1.14.0 and later · before 1.14.7
  • kubernetes kubernetes1.15.0 and later · before 1.15.4
  • kubernetes kubernetes1.1-1.12

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 1.13.11, prior to 1.14.7, prior to 1.15.4, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9 … (+3)affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Gok8s.io/kubernetesfrom 1.13.10 · before 1.13.111.13.11
Gok8s.io/kubernetesfrom 1.14.6 · before 1.14.71.14.7
Gok8s.io/kubernetesfrom 1.15.3 · before 1.16.01.16.0
openSUSE:Tumbleweedgovulncheck-vulndbbefore 0.0.20250807T150727-1.10.0.20250807T150727-1.1
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshiftbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-clientsbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-clients-redistributablebefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-docker-excluderbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-excluderbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-hyperkubebefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-hypershiftbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-masterbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-nodebefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-podbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-sdn-ovsbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-template-service-brokerbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.11::el7atomic-openshift-testsbefore 0:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el70:3.11.154-1.git.0.7a097ad.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7atomic-openshiftbefore 0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el70:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7atomic-openshift-clientsbefore 0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el70:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7atomic-openshift-clients-redistributablebefore 0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el70:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7atomic-openshift-cluster-capacitybefore 0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el70:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7atomic-openshift-docker-excluderbefore 0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el70:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7atomic-openshift-excluderbefore 0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el70:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7
Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7atomic-openshift-federation-servicesbefore 0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el70:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7

+15

Same product

kubernetes: all records

Other 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 the
    65This week
  • CVE-2019-11248Kubernetes kubelet exposes /debug/pprof info on healthz port
    55Plan
  • 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

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2019-11253Oct 17, 2019 · Kubernetes API Server JSON/YAML parsing vulnerable to resource exhaustion attack
    38Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2018-1002102Dec 5, 2019 · Kubernetes API server follows unvalidated redirects from streaming Kubelet endpoints
    10Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2020-8551Mar 27, 2020 · Kubernetes kubelet denial of service
    26Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Go:k8s.io/kubernetes1.13.11Package registry (OSV)
Go:k8s.io/kubernetes1.14.7Package registry (OSV)
Go:k8s.io/kubernetes1.16.0Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:govulncheck-vulndb0.0.20250807T150727-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:atomic-openshift0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:atomic-openshift-clients0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:atomic-openshift-clients-redistributable0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:atomic-openshift-cluster-capacity0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:atomic-openshift-docker-excluder0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:atomic-openshift-excluder0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:atomic-openshift-federation-services0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:atomic-openshift-master0:3.9.102-1.git.0.6411f52.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:3.9::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:openshift0:4.1.21-201910220952.git.0.493dbf6.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:openshift-clients0:4.1.21-201910220952.git.0.493dbf6.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:openshift-clients-redistributable0:4.1.21-201910220952.git.0.493dbf6.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:openshift-hyperkube0:4.1.21-201910220952.git.0.493dbf6.el7 · Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el7Package 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.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

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 researchers

Finders, 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.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • 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
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
None

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-61 · UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (1 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records