CVE-2023-23947Network attack vector

Privilege escalation via attacker-controlled authorization target

Published Feb 16, 2023 · Updated Mar 10, 2025

Incorrect authorization in Argo CD releases allows remote authenticated users with cluster update access to modify out-of-bounds cluster secrets. The cluster Update handler authorizes the request body's server value instead of the stored server for the cluster selected by the query. Access to update one non-project-scoped cluster and knowledge of the target server URL are required; exploitation permits Kubernetes resource changes or prevents Argo CD from connecting to the target cluster.

CVSS severity9.1
Critical
EPSS probability0.67%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in Argo CD releases allows remote authenticated users with cluster update access to modify out-of-bounds cluster secrets. The cluster Update handler authorizes the request body's server value instead of the stored server for the cluster selected by the query. Access to update one non-project-scoped cluster and knowledge of the target server URL are required; exploitation permits Kubernetes resource changes or prevents Argo CD from connecting to the target cluster.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-23947
Published
Feb 16, 2023
Updated
Mar 10, 2025
Vendor
Argo Project
Product
Argo CD
Classifications
CWE-863, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 16, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 10, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=>= 2.3.0-rc1, < 2.3.17
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.23
  3. Affected versionversion=>= 2.5.0, < 2.5.11
  4. Affected versionversion=>= 2.6.0, < 2.6.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Argo Project · Argo CDversion=>= 2.3.0-rc1, < 2.3.17; version=>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.23; version=>= 2.5.0, < 2.5.11; version=>= 2.6.0, < 2.6.2

Published CVSS scores

8.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.1GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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-863Incorrect Authorization
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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