CVE-2024-36539Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Privilege escalation via exposed service account token

Published Jul 24, 2024 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Insecure permissions in Contour 1.28.3 and earlier allow remote attackers to obtain its Kubernetes service account token. The deployed workload leaves Kubernetes API credentials available inside the affected pod instead of preventing unnecessary token exposure. Attackers who reach those credentials can authenticate to the Kubernetes API with the Contour service account's assigned RBAC rights.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability1.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insecure permissions in Contour 1.28.3 and earlier allow remote attackers to obtain its Kubernetes service account token. The deployed workload leaves Kubernetes API credentials available inside the affected pod instead of preventing unnecessary token exposure. Attackers who reach those credentials can authenticate to the Kubernetes API with the Contour service account's assigned RBAC rights.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-36539
Published
Jul 24, 2024
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
Project Contour
Product
Contour
Classifications
CWE-277, T1552.007
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 24, 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=0 <=1.28.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Project Contour · Contourversion=0 <=1.28.3

Published CVSS scores

9.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/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.

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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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-277Insecure Inherited Permissions
T1552.007Unsecured Credentials: Container API

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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