CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-7646NVD status: Deferred

A security issue was discovered in ingress-nginx where an actor with permission to create…

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-7646 is a high-severity improper input validation vulnerability in ingress-nginx from Kubernetes, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 1.11.2, 1.10.4 as the first without the flaw, so updating ingress-nginx to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 27% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is in the top 1.93% of all scored CVEs.

Patch this week

EPSS places it among the vulnerabilities most likely to be exploited soon.

What to do

  1. Update ingress-nginx to 1.11.2 or 1.10.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Kubernetesingress-nginx1.11.0 up to, but not including, 1.11.2; before 1.10.4; 1.11.2; 1.10.41.11.2, 1.10.4

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (liggitt.net).

Official description

A security issue was discovered in ingress-nginx where an actor with permission to create Ingress objects (in the `networking.k8s.io` or `extensions` API group) can bypass annotation validation to inject arbitrary commands and obtain the credentials of the ingress-nginx controller. In the default configuration, that credential has access to all secrets in the cluster.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Input Validation

The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Consider using language-theoretic security (LangSec) techniques that characterize inputs using a formal language and build recognizers for that language. This effectively requires parsing to be a distinct layer that effectively enforces a boundary between raw input and internal data representations, instead of allowing parser code to be scattered throughout the program, where it could be subject to errors or inconsistencies that create weaknesses.
  • Use an input validation framework such as Struts or the OWASP ESAPI Validation API. Note that using a framework does not automatically address all input validation problems; be mindful of weaknesses that could arise from misusing the framework itself (CWE-1173).
  • Understand all the potential areas where untrusted inputs can enter the product, including but not limited to: parameters or arguments, cookies, anything read from the network, environment variables, reverse DNS lookups, query results, request headers, URL components, e-mail, files, filenames, databases, and any external systems that provide data to the application. Remember that such inputs may be obtained indirectly through API calls.

More Improper Input Validation vulnerabilities (CWE-20)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in ingress-nginx

All ingress-nginx vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Input Validation vulnerabilities

Spotted an error? Tell us.