# CVE-2020-35514: Privilege escalation in openshift/machine-config-operator

> An attacker with container or node access can steal kubeconfig to add rogue nodes to the OpenShift cluster, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 2 Jun 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024

## What is CVE-2020-35514?

CVE-2020-35514 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Openshift, published on 2 Jun 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An insecure modification flaw in the /etc/kubernetes/kubeconfig file was found in OpenShift. This flaw allows an attacker with access to a running container which mounts /etc/kubernetes or has local access to the node, to copy this kubeconfig file and attempt to add their own node to the OpenShift cluster. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality, integrity, as well as system availability. This flaw affects versions before openshift4/ose-machine-config-operator v4.7.0-202105111858.p0.

Weakness: CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-35514?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Redhat Openshift.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-35514?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-35514 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-35514 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-35514 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Openshift

- [CVE-2014-3496](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3496/): Command injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2014-0234](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-0234/): Hardcoded credentials in Red Hat OpenShift Enterprise (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2013-2060](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2060/): Command injection in OpenShift Origin (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2013-4561](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4561/): Path traversal in openshift-origin-msg-node-mcollective (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2014-0163](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-0163/): Command injection in Openshift (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-35514 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-35514 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Openshift, published on 2 Jun 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-35514 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Openshift. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2020-35514/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35514/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-35514
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-35514
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-35514

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35514/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.