CVE-2024-45041Public exploit

Cluster privilege escalation via overbroad cert-controller RBAC

Published Sep 9, 2024 · Updated Sep 9, 2024

Privilege escalation in the cert-controller RBAC for External Secrets Operator before 0.10.2 allows local users to read cluster secrets. The default cert-controller ClusterRole grants its service account cluster-wide secret get/list access and unrestricted webhook patch/update access. Worker-node access exposes that service-account token, enabling secret theft or webhook changes that block Pod creation and updates.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.59%
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 the cert-controller RBAC for External Secrets Operator before 0.10.2 allows local users to read cluster secrets. The default cert-controller ClusterRole grants its service account cluster-wide secret get/list access and unrestricted webhook patch/update access. Worker-node access exposes that service-account token, enabling secret theft or webhook changes that block Pod creation and updates.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-45041
Published
Sep 9, 2024
Updated
Sep 9, 2024
Vendor
External Secrets
Product
External Secrets Operator
Classifications
CWE-732, CWE-269, T1555
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 9, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 9, 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 <0.10.2
  2. Affected versionversion=< 0.10.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

External Secrets · External Secrets Operatorversion=0 <0.10.2; version=< 0.10.2

Published CVSS scores

8.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1555Credentials from Password Stores

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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