Node deletion via unrestricted OwnerReference patch
Published Aug 27, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026
Incorrect authorization in Kubernetes kube-apiserver allows remote authenticated users to delete their corresponding node object. The NodeRestriction admission controller accepts a node user's patch that adds an OwnerReference even though that user lacks permission to delete the node. Exploitation requires compromised node credentials and a cluster with NodeRestriction enabled but OwnerReferencesPermissionEnforcement disabled, enabling node recreation with normally forbidden taints or labels and control over pod placement.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect authorization in Kubernetes kube-apiserver allows remote authenticated users to delete their corresponding node object. The NodeRestriction admission controller accepts a node user's patch that adds an OwnerReference even though that user lacks permission to delete the node. Exploitation requires compromised node credentials and a cluster with NodeRestriction enabled but OwnerReferencesPermissionEnforcement disabled, enabling node recreation with normally forbidden taints or labels and control over pod placement.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-5187
- Published
- Aug 27, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Vendor
- Kubernetes
- Product
- Kubernetes
- Classifications
- CWE-863
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 27, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=v1.31.0 <=v1.31.11
- Affected versionversion=v1.32.0 <=v1.32.7
- Affected versionversion=v1.33.0 <=v1.33.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo