CVE-2023-2728Network attack vector

Secret policy bypass via unvalidated ephemeral containers

Published Jul 3, 2023 · Updated Feb 13, 2025

Improper input validation in affected Kubernetes kube-apiserver versions allows remote authenticated users to read unauthorized secrets. The ServiceAccount admission plugin accepts ephemeral-container updates without checking their secret references against the service account allowlist. Exploitation requires high Kubernetes API privileges, an annotated service account, the ServiceAccount plugin, and a pod using ephemeral containers.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability2.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper input validation in affected Kubernetes kube-apiserver versions allows remote authenticated users to read unauthorized secrets. The ServiceAccount admission plugin accepts ephemeral-container updates without checking their secret references against the service account allowlist. Exploitation requires high Kubernetes API privileges, an annotated service account, the ServiceAccount plugin, and a pod using ephemeral containers.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-2728
Published
Jul 3, 2023
Updated
Feb 13, 2025
Vendor
Kubernetes
Product
Kubernetes
Classifications
CWE-20, CAPEC-554, T1552.007
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 3, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 13, 2025Record 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=v1.24.14 <=<=
  2. Affected versionversion=v1.25.0 - v1.25.10
  3. Affected versionversion=v1.26.0 - v1.26.5
  4. Affected versionversion=v1.27.0 - v1.27.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Kubernetes · Kubernetesversion=v1.24.14 <=<=; version=v1.25.0 - v1.25.10; version=v1.26.0 - v1.26.5; version=v1.27.0 - v1.27.2

Published CVSS scores

6.5KubernetesCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation
CAPEC-554Functionality Bypass
T1552.007Unsecured Credentials: Container API

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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