Cross-node VM lifecycle control via shared TLS identity
Published Nov 7, 2025 · Updated Nov 7, 2025
Improper authentication in KubeVirt before 1.5.3 and 1.6.0-alpha.0 through 1.6.0 allows local users to control VMs on other nodes. The virt-handler verifyPeerCert logic accepts the same client certificate common name for virt-api and every virt-handler, so a node handler's TLS bundle authenticates as the API. Access to one virt-handler's client certificate and private key is required; reuse of those credentials reaches peer handlers and permits lifecycle actions such as VM reboot.
Summary
What happened
Improper authentication in KubeVirt before 1.5.3 and 1.6.0-alpha.0 through 1.6.0 allows local users to control VMs on other nodes. The virt-handler verifyPeerCert logic accepts the same client certificate common name for virt-api and every virt-handler, so a node handler's TLS bundle authenticates as the API. Access to one virt-handler's client certificate and private key is required; reuse of those credentials reaches peer handlers and permits lifecycle actions such as VM reboot.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-64434
- Published
- Nov 7, 2025
- Updated
- Nov 7, 2025
- Vendor
- KubeVirt
- Product
- KubeVirt
- Classifications
- CWE-287, T1649
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Nov 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 7, 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.
- Affected versionversion=< 1.5.3
- Affected versionversion=>= 1.6.0-alpha.0, < 1.6.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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
- KubeVirt cross-node soft-reboot proof of conceptfunctional · demonstrated
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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