CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-1974NVD status: Deferred

ingress-nginx: Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2025-1974 is a critical-severity improper isolation or compartmentalization vulnerability in ingress-nginx from Kubernetes, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected ingress-nginx versions: 1.11.4 and earlier; 1.12.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 99.4% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is in the top 0.06% of all scored CVEs.

Patch now

Exploitation in the next 30 days is more likely than not, according to EPSS.

What to do

  1. Check which version of ingress-nginx you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Kubernetesingress-nginx1.11.4 and earlier; 1.12.0Not stated

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
NoneNo account or login is needed.
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:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (liggitt.net).

Official description

A security issue was discovered in Kubernetes where under certain conditions, an unauthenticated attacker with access to the pod network can achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the ingress-nginx controller. This can lead to disclosure of Secrets accessible to the controller. (Note that in the default installation, the controller can access all Secrets cluster-wide.)

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

The underlying weakness: Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization

The product does not properly compartmentalize or isolate functionality, processes, or resources that require different privilege levels, rights, or permissions.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Break up privileges between different modules, objects, or entities. Minimize the interfaces between modules and require strong access control between them.

More Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization vulnerabilities (CWE-653)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: yes, 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 Isolation or Compartmentalization vulnerabilities

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