CVE-2025-13888Network attack vector

Cluster takeover via cross-namespace monitoring label write

Published Dec 15, 2025 · Updated Dec 15, 2025

Privilege escalation in Red Hat OpenShift GitOps allows remote authenticated users with namespace-admin rights to gain cluster-root access. The ArgoCD metrics reconciler trusts spec.sourceNamespaces from a namespace-scoped CR and applies the cluster-monitoring label to attacker-selected namespaces, enabling operator-generated cross-namespace permissions. Namespace-admin permission to create ArgoCD CRs is required; the resulting access permits privileged workloads on control-plane nodes and full cluster takeover.

CVSS severity9.1
Critical
EPSS probability0.69%
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 Red Hat OpenShift GitOps allows remote authenticated users with namespace-admin rights to gain cluster-root access. The ArgoCD metrics reconciler trusts spec.sourceNamespaces from a namespace-scoped CR and applies the cluster-monitoring label to attacker-selected namespaces, enabling operator-generated cross-namespace permissions. Namespace-admin permission to create ArgoCD CRs is required; the resulting access permits privileged workloads on control-plane nodes and full cluster takeover.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-13888
Published
Dec 15, 2025
Updated
Dec 15, 2025
Vendor
389 Directory Server
Product
Red Hat OpenShift GitOps
Classifications
CWE-266, T1610, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 15, 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?

Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

389 Directory Server · Red Hat OpenShift GitOpsAffected versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

9.1Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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.

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-266Incorrect Privilege Assignment
T1610Deploy Container
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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