CVE-2021-23055Network attack vector

Secret disclosure via unenforced snippet restriction

Published Apr 21, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Snippet restriction bypass in F5 NGINX Ingress Controller 1.x before 1.12.3 and 2.x before 2.0.3 allows remote authenticated users to read secrets. The Ingress validation path fails to apply the enable-snippets command-line gate, so snippet annotations enter generated NGINX configuration even when snippets are disabled. An attacker needs permission to create Ingress objects; injected NGINX directives can expose secrets available to the controller service account.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.77%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Snippet restriction bypass in F5 NGINX Ingress Controller 1.x before 1.12.3 and 2.x before 2.0.3 allows remote authenticated users to read secrets. The Ingress validation path fails to apply the enable-snippets command-line gate, so snippet annotations enter generated NGINX configuration even when snippets are disabled. An attacker needs permission to create Ingress objects; injected NGINX directives can expose secrets available to the controller service account.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-23055
Published
Apr 21, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
F5 Networks
Product
NGINX Ingress Controller
Classifications
CWE-732, T1552.007
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 21, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.x before 2.0.3 and 1.x before 1.12.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

F5 Networks · NGINX Ingress Controllerversion=2.x before 2.0.3 and 1.x before 1.12.3

Published CVSS scores

4.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N
6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1552.007Unsecured Credentials: Container API

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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