CVE-2026-122313
Received Received - Intake

Privilege Escalation in Kyverno via NamespacedMutatingPolicy

Publication date: 2026-11-05

Last updated on: 2026-11-05

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description
Kyverno from 1.17.0 before 1.19.2 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows namespace-scoped tenants to modify resources in other namespaces through NamespacedMutatingPolicy targetMatchConstraints.expression CEL output lacking namespace checks. Attackers can emit a literal target such as another tenant's RoleBinding, which the cluster-wide background controller then mutates to add attacker subjects or alter Roles, NetworkPolicies, and ConfigMaps.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-11-05
Last Modified
2026-11-05
Generated
2026-11-05
AI Q&A
2026-11-05
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-122313
EUVD
EUVD-2026-117224

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
kyverno kyverno 1.17.0

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-269 The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-122313 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Kyverno versions 1.17.0 to 1.19.1. It allows namespace-scoped users to modify resources in other namespaces by exploiting the NamespacedMutatingPolicy feature. Attackers craft a CEL expression to target resources like RoleBindings or Roles in another namespace. The cluster-wide background controller then applies the mutation, enabling unauthorized access or changes to critical resources.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check Kyverno versions between 1.17.0 and 1.19.1. Run: kubectl get deployment -n kyverno kyverno -o jsonpath='{.spec.template.spec.containers[0].image}' to verify the installed version. Inspect NamespacedMutatingPolicy resources for suspicious CEL expressions targeting other namespaces.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to other namespaces, add themselves to RoleBindings, modify Roles, alter NetworkPolicies, or overwrite ConfigMaps. This could lead to privilege escalation, data breaches, or disruption of services within the affected cluster.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or modification of sensitive data, violating confidentiality and integrity requirements in GDPR and HIPAA. Non-compliance risks include data breaches, unauthorized data exposure, and failure to maintain proper access controls.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately upgrade Kyverno to version 1.19.2 or later. Remove or audit NamespacedMutatingPolicy resources with cross-namespace CEL expressions. Restrict permissions for the background-controller ServiceAccount to limit potential damage.

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