API traffic interception via permissive custom CA validation
Published Sep 16, 2025 · Updated Sep 16, 2025
Improper certificate validation in Kubernetes C# Client 17.0.13 and earlier allows man-in-the-middle attackers to read or alter API traffic. The custom-CA callback in Kubernetes.ConfigInit.cs adds the configured CA to ExtraStore and permits unknown-authority chain errors, allowing a valid certificate from another CA to pass. Exploitation requires a custom CA in kubeconfig and communication over an untrusted network; successful interception exposes API traffic and permits API-server impersonation.
Summary
What happened
Improper certificate validation in Kubernetes C# Client 17.0.13 and earlier allows man-in-the-middle attackers to read or alter API traffic. The custom-CA callback in Kubernetes.ConfigInit.cs adds the configured CA to ExtraStore and permits unknown-authority chain errors, allowing a valid certificate from another CA to pass. Exploitation requires a custom CA in kubeconfig and communication over an untrusted network; successful interception exposes API traffic and permits API-server impersonation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-9708
- Published
- Sep 16, 2025
- Updated
- Sep 16, 2025
- Vendor
- Kubernetes
- Product
- Kubernetes C# Client
- Classifications
- CWE-295, T1557
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 16, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 16, 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=0 <=17.0.13
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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