CVE-2024-33394Public exploit

Cluster takeover via overprivileged operator service account

Published May 2, 2024 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Privilege escalation in KubeVirt 1.2.0 and earlier allows local users to take over a cluster using an operator service-account token. The kubevirt-operator ClusterRole grants cluster-wide secret and workload powers, while its pod-mounted token exposes those powers to anyone who obtains it. Exploitation requires prior access to the operator pod, a cluster node, or the token; the token then permits secret theft and privileged workload creation.

CVSS severity5.9
Medium
EPSS probability0.33%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in KubeVirt 1.2.0 and earlier allows local users to take over a cluster using an operator service-account token. The kubevirt-operator ClusterRole grants cluster-wide secret and workload powers, while its pod-mounted token exposes those powers to anyone who obtains it. Exploitation requires prior access to the operator pod, a cluster node, or the token; the token then permits secret theft and privileged workload creation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-33394
Published
May 2, 2024
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
KubeVirt
Product
KubeVirt
Classifications
CWE-94, T1610
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 2, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 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=-

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

KubeVirt · KubeVirtversion=-

Published CVSS scores

5.9CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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.

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No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-94Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
T1610Deploy Container

Public exploit references

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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