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CVE-2023-3676· NVD / CVE Program· CNA kubernetes

Kubernetes - Windows nodes - Insufficient input sanitization leads to privilege escalation

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 39/100)

  • 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: 13.1% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 96.3% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: kubernetes (Debian:12) 1.20.5+really1.20.2-1; k8s.io/kubernetes (Go) 1.25.13, 1.26.8, 1.27.5; govulncheck-vulndb (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 0.0.20241213T205935-1.1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to kubernetes (Debian:12) 1.20.5+really1.20.2-1; k8s.io/kubernetes (Go) 1.25.13, 1.26.8, 1.27.5; govulncheck-vulndb (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 0.0.20241213T205935-1.1 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

A security issue was discovered in Kubernetes where a user that can create pods on Windows nodes may be able to escalate to admin privileges on those nodes. Kubernetes clusters are only affected if they include Windows nodes.

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Oct 31, 2023
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
13.1% · 96th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

39

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
4 / 30 · 13.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
proof of concept
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
8.8
CNA · kubernetes
8.8
agree

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

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2023-3676

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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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
microsoftwindows

Using kubernetes? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (Kubernetes)

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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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Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

  • Stack alerts: add the products and versions you run, get the new CVEs that affect them
  • Uptime monitoring: 1 site, instant email when it goes down
  • Add your domain: subdomains and takeover risk scanned every week (1 domain)
  • 10 scans an hour on the security tools (3 a day without an account), an API key and MCP
  • All your scans in one panel: findings, what changed in the last scan, a report per domain or per client (PDF, share link)
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Free account, no card. Unfollow any time.

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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 kubernetesbefore 1.24.17
  • kubernetes kubernetes1.25.0 and later · before 1.25.13
  • kubernetes kubernetes1.26.0 and later · before 1.26.8
  • kubernetes kubernetes1.27.0 and later · before 1.27.5
  • kubernetes kubernetes1.28.0 and later · before 1.28.1

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 kubelet

    • v1.28.0affected
    • v1.28.1, v1.27.5, v1.26.8, v1.25.13, v1.24.17not affected
    • up to and including v1.24.16affected · semver
    • v1.26.0 and later · up to and including v1.26.7affected · semver
    • v1.25.0 and later · up to and including v1.25.12affected · semver
    • v1.27.0 and later · up to and including v1.27.4affected · semver

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12kubernetesbefore 1.20.5+really1.20.2-11.20.5+really1.20.2-1
Gok8s.io/kubernetesfrom 1.25.0 · before 1.25.131.25.13
Gok8s.io/kubernetesfrom 1.26.0 · before 1.26.81.26.8
Gok8s.io/kubernetesfrom 1.27.0 · before 1.27.51.27.5
Gok8s.io/kubernetesfrom 1.28.0 · before 1.28.11.28.1
Gok8s.io/kubernetesbefore 1.24.171.24.17
openSUSE:Tumbleweedgovulncheck-vulndbbefore 0.0.20241213T205935-1.10.0.20241213T205935-1.1

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-2023-2728Jul 3, 2023 · Bypassing enforce mountable secrets policy imposed by the ServiceAccount admission plugin
    27Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2021-25736Oct 29, 2023 · Windows kube-proxy LoadBalancer contention
    25Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2023-3955Oct 31, 2023 · Kubernetes - Windows nodes - Insufficient input sanitization leads to privilege escalation
    36Monitor

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
debian:kubernetes1.20.5+really1.20.2-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
Go:k8s.io/kubernetes1.24.17Package registry (OSV)
Go:k8s.io/kubernetes1.25.13Package registry (OSV)
Go:k8s.io/kubernetes1.26.8Package registry (OSV)
Go:k8s.io/kubernetes1.27.5Package registry (OSV)
Go:k8s.io/kubernetes1.28.1Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:govulncheck-vulndb0.0.20241213T205935-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage 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.

EPSS, last 120 days

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 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.

  • CVE-2023-39550 days apartKubernetes - Windows nodes - Insufficient input sanitization leads to privilege escalation
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2023-552814 days apartKubernetes - Windows nodes - Insufficient input sanitization in in-tree storage plugin leads to privilege escalation
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2022-3294244 days apartNode address isn't always verified when proxying
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2023-2728120 days apartBypassing enforce mountable secrets policy imposed by the ServiceAccount admission plugin
    27Monitor
  • CVE-2023-2727120 days apartBypassing policies imposed by the ImagePolicyWebhook admission plugin
    26Monitor
  • CVE-2024-3177174 days apartBypassing mountable secrets policy imposed by the ServiceAccount admission plugin
    11Monitor

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.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation

CVSS vector

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

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.

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