CVE-2024-46528
📋 TL;DR
This IDOR vulnerability in KubeSphere allows authenticated users with low privileges to access sensitive resources they shouldn't have permission to view. Attackers can bypass authorization checks to access data or functionality intended for higher-privileged users. This affects KubeSphere 4.x before 4.1.3, 3.x through 3.4.1, and KubeSphere Enterprise 4.x before 4.1.3 and 3.x through 3.5.0.
💻 Affected Systems
- KubeSphere
- KubeSphere Enterprise
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Low-privileged attackers access administrative resources, sensitive cluster data, or perform unauthorized operations leading to data exposure or privilege escalation.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive resources like configurations, secrets, or user data that should be restricted to higher-privileged users.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, strong authentication, and monitoring detecting unusual access patterns.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward once an attacker has low-privileged credentials.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: KubeSphere 4.1.3, KubeSphere Enterprise 4.1.3
Vendor Advisory: https://www.kubesphere.io/news/kubesphere-cve-2024-46528/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup your KubeSphere configuration and data. 2. Upgrade to KubeSphere 4.1.3 or KubeSphere Enterprise 4.1.3 using the official upgrade guide. 3. Restart KubeSphere services to apply the patch. 4. Verify the fix by testing authorization controls.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict User Access
linuxImplement strict role-based access control (RBAC) to limit low-privileged users to minimal necessary permissions.
kubectl edit rolebinding -n kubesphere-system
kubectl edit clusterrolebinding
Network Segmentation
allIsolate KubeSphere management interfaces from untrusted networks to reduce attack surface.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit who can reach KubeSphere interfaces.
- Enhance monitoring and alerting for unusual access patterns to sensitive resources.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check your KubeSphere version; if running affected versions (KubeSphere 4.x < 4.1.3, 3.x <= 3.4.1; KubeSphere Enterprise 4.x < 4.1.3, 3.x <= 3.5.0), you are vulnerable.Check Version:
kubectl get pod -n kubesphere-system -l app=ks-installer -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.labels.version}'Verify Fix Applied:
After patching, test with low-privileged accounts to ensure they cannot access resources beyond their permissions.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual access patterns from low-privileged users to sensitive endpoints
- Failed authorization attempts followed by successful accesses
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to administrative APIs from non-admin user accounts
SIEM Query:
source="kubesphere" AND (event_type="access" OR event_type="auth") AND user_role="low_privilege" AND resource_type="sensitive"