# CVE-2019-11253: Kubernetes API Server JSON/YAML parsing vulnerable to resource exhaustion attack > Authorized users can send malicious YAML or JSON payloads to the Kubernetes API server, causing resource exhaustion and service unavailability. - **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 17 Oct 2019 - **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024 - **Also known as:** CLEANSTART-2025-ZG19712, DEBIAN-CVE-2019-11253, GHSA-pmqp-h87c-mr78, GO-2022-0703, RHEA-2019:3809, RHSA-2019:3132, RHSA-2020:2799, RHSA-2020:2863, RHSA-2020:2870 ## What is CVE-2019-11253? CVE-2019-11253 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Kubernetes Kubernetes, published on 17 Oct 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Improper input validation in the Kubernetes API server in versions v1.0-1.12 and versions prior to v1.13.12, v1.14.8, v1.15.5, and v1.16.2 allows authorized users to send malicious YAML or JSON payloads, causing the API server to consume excessive CPU or memory, potentially crashing and becoming unavailable. Prior to v1.14.0, default RBAC policy authorized anonymous users to submit requests that could trigger this vulnerability. Clusters upgraded from a version prior to v1.14.0 keep the more permissive policy by default for backwards compatibility. Weakness: CWE-776 (Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs), CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-11253? 9 open source packages ship an affected version, including k8s.io/kubernetes. It affects 2 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.0.0 | 1.13.12, 1.14.8, 1.15.5, 1.16.2 | | `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.0.0 | 1.13.12 | | `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.0.0 | 1.13.12 | | `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.14.0 | 1.14.8 | | `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.14.0 | 1.14.8 | | `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.15.0 | 1.15.5 | | `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.15.0 | 1.15.5 | | `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.16.0 | 1.16.2 | | `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.16.0 | 1.16.2 | | `openshift` | Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el7 | All versions | 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el7 | | `openshift-clients` | Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el7 | All versions | 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el7 | | `openshift-clients-redistributable` | Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el7 | All versions | 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el7 | | `openshift-hyperkube` | Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el7 | All versions | 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el7 | | `openshift` | Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el8 | All versions | 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el8 | | `openshift-clients` | Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el8 | All versions | 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el8 | | `openshift-clients-redistributable` | Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el8 | All versions | 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el8 | | `openshift-hyperkube` | Red Hat:openshift:4.1::el8 | All versions | 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el8 | | `jaeger` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el7 | All versions | 0:v1.13.1.redhat5-1.el7 | | `jaeger-operator` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el7 | All versions | 0:v1.13.1.redhat8-1.el7 | | `kiali` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el7 | All versions | 0:v1.0.7.redhat1-1.el7 | | `servicemesh` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-citadel` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-cni` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.11-1.el8 | | `servicemesh-cni` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-galley` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-grafana` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:6.2.2-24.el8 | | `servicemesh-grafana-prometheus` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:6.2.2-24.el8 | | `servicemesh-istioctl` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-mixc` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-mixs` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-operator` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-7.el8 | | `servicemesh-pilot-agent` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-pilot-discovery` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-prometheus` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:2.7.2-25.el8 | | `servicemesh-prometheus` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:2.7.2-36.el8 | | `servicemesh-proxy` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-sidecar-injector` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.0::el8 | All versions | 0:1.0.2-3.el8 | | `servicemesh-cni` | Red Hat:service_mesh:1.1::el8 | All versions | 0:1.1.4-2.el8 | Products: Kubernetes Kubernetes, Redhat Openshift Container Platform. ## How do I fix CVE-2019-11253? Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to a fixed version for your release line: 1.13.12, 1.14.8, 1.15.5 or 1.16.2. ## Is CVE-2019-11253 being exploited? It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2019-11253 exists. Public exploit code: - Kubernetes API Server - YAML Parsing DoS (Billion Laughs) (nuclei): http/cves/2019/CVE-2019-11253.yaml ## Other vulnerabilities in Kubernetes Kubernetes - [CVE-2018-1002105](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1002105/): Privilege Escalation in Kubernetes (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2017-1000056](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1000056/): Kubernetes Privilege Escalation (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2016-1906](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1906/): Authorization bypass in Openshift (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2023-3676](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3676/): Kubernetes - Windows nodes - Insufficient input sanitization leads to privilege escalation (high 8.8) - [CVE-2023-3955](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3955/): Kubernetes - Windows nodes - Insufficient input sanitization leads to privilege escalation (high 8.8) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2019-11253 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2019-11253 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Kubernetes Kubernetes, published on 17 Oct 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2019-11253 exists. Affected packages and fixed versions: - k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.0.0; fixed in 1.13.12, 1.14.8, 1.15.5, 1.16.2 - k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.0.0; fixed in 1.13.12 - k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.0.0; fixed in 1.13.12 - k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.14.0; fixed in 1.14.8 - k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.14.0; fixed in 1.14.8 - k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.15.0; fixed in 1.15.5 - k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.15.0; fixed in 1.15.5 - k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.16.0; fixed in 1.16.2 - k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.16.0; fixed in 1.16.2 Task: 1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies. 2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it. 3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead. 4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why. 5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing. Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11253/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11253/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-11253 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11253 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-11253 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11253/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.