CVE-2026-101919
Received Received - Intake

Privileged Code Execution in HyperShift Operator

Publication date: 2026-10-05

Last updated on: 2026-10-05

Assigner: redhat-SADP

Description
A flaw was found in the HyperShift operator. The operator copies user-provided Kubernetes configuration (kubeconfig) secrets directly into the privileged control plane namespace without proper validation or sanitization. An authenticated user with cluster and secret creation permissions can exploit this vulnerability by supplying a configuration containing unauthorized executable plugins. When downstream controllers consume this configuration, an attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution within the control plane.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-05
Last Modified
2026-10-05
Generated
2026-10-05
AI Q&A
2026-10-05
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-101919
EUVD
EUVD-2026-92524

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
red_hat hypershift_operator *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-20 The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is in the HyperShift operator of Red Hat OpenShift environments. It allows an authenticated user with cluster and secret creation permissions to exploit improper input validation by supplying a malicious Kubernetes configuration (kubeconfig) containing unauthorized executable plugins. The operator copies this kubeconfig directly into the privileged control plane namespace without sanitization, leading to arbitrary code execution when downstream controllers consume the tampered configuration.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires checking for unauthorized kubeconfig secrets in privileged control plane namespaces. Inspect Secrets in control plane namespaces for suspicious exec plugins using kubectl get secrets -n <control-plane-namespace> -o yaml. Look for kubeconfig data containing exec sections with unauthorized plugins. Also review HyperShift operator logs for ReconcileCredentials errors or unexpected secret copies.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could gain arbitrary code execution within the control plane, breaking tenant isolation and compromising host control plane components. This could allow unauthorized access to sensitive data, manipulation of cluster operations, or full control over the hosting infrastructure, depending on the attacker's goals.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or data breaches, violating confidentiality and integrity requirements in GDPR and HIPAA. Compromised control planes may expose sensitive data, leading to non-compliance with data protection regulations and potential legal consequences.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation requires restricting Secret creation permissions in tenant namespaces. Remove HostedCluster and Secret creation permissions from non-admin users. Monitor Red Hat's official channels for patches as no stable mitigation exists currently. Avoid using Multicluster Engine with HyperShift until updates are available.

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