CVE-2024-36540Public exploit

Cluster privilege escalation via overprivileged service-account token

Published Jul 24, 2024 · Updated Mar 13, 2025

Incorrect access control in External Secrets Operator 0.9.16 allows attackers to read all Kubernetes Secrets with its service-account token. The operator's ClusterRole grants its service account cluster-wide Secret access, so a token stolen from a rescheduled pod authenticates with those inherited permissions. Exploitation requires control of a worker node and the ability to force the operator pod onto that node; retrieved Secrets can enable cluster-wide privilege escalation.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.42%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect access control in External Secrets Operator 0.9.16 allows attackers to read all Kubernetes Secrets with its service-account token. The operator's ClusterRole grants its service account cluster-wide Secret access, so a token stolen from a rescheduled pod authenticates with those inherited permissions. Exploitation requires control of a worker node and the ability to force the operator pod onto that node; retrieved Secrets can enable cluster-wide privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-36540
Published
Jul 24, 2024
Updated
Mar 13, 2025
Vendor
External Secrets
Product
External Secrets Operator
Classifications
CWE-277, T1528
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 24, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 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=0.9.16

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

External Secrets · External Secrets Operatorversion=0.9.16

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)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-277Insecure Inherited Permissions
T1528Steal Application Access Token

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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