CVE-2020-8828Network attack vector

Administrator access via server pod name password

Published Apr 8, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Insecure default credentials in Argo CD allow remote authenticated users to obtain administrator access through the server pod name. Argo CD assigns the argocd-server pod name as the built-in administrator password, exposing the credential to Kubernetes users who can list pods and weakening its random suffix through a time-seeded PRNG. Exploitation requires pod-listing access, log exposure, or successful prediction of the pod name, after which the attacker gains Argo CD's privileged administrator role.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability1.80%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insecure default credentials in Argo CD allow remote authenticated users to obtain administrator access through the server pod name. Argo CD assigns the argocd-server pod name as the built-in administrator password, exposing the credential to Kubernetes users who can list pods and weakening its random suffix through a time-seeded PRNG. Exploitation requires pod-listing access, log exposure, or successful prediction of the pod name, after which the attacker gains Argo CD's privileged administrator role.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-8828
Published
Apr 8, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-287, CWE-1188, T1078.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 8, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

8.8NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-287Improper Authentication
CWE-1188Insecure Default Initialization of Resource
T1078.001Default Accounts

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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