Authenticated secret disclosure via cross-namespace template lookup
Published Jan 21, 2026 · Updated Jan 21, 2026
Incorrect authorization in External Secrets Operator 0.20.2 through 1.1.x allows local users to read Secrets across namespaces. The getSecretKey template function accepts a Secret name, namespace, and key, then uses the controller's in-cluster client to retrieve that value without enforcing the ExternalSecret resource's namespace boundary. Exploitation requires permission to submit or modify an ExternalSecret, and successful use exposes data readable by the controller's role binding.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect authorization in External Secrets Operator 0.20.2 through 1.1.x allows local users to read Secrets across namespaces. The getSecretKey template function accepts a Secret name, namespace, and key, then uses the controller's in-cluster client to retrieve that value without enforcing the ExternalSecret resource's namespace boundary. Exploitation requires permission to submit or modify an ExternalSecret, and successful use exposes data readable by the controller's role binding.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-22822
- Published
- Jan 21, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 21, 2026
- Vendor
- External Secrets
- Product
- External Secrets Operator
- Classifications
- CWE-863, T1552.007
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 21, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 21, 2026Record 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=>= 0.20.2, < 1.2.0
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
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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