# CVE-2022-3172: Kubernetes - API server - Aggregated API server can cause clients to be redirected (SSRF)

> An aggregated API server can redirect client traffic to arbitrary URLs, potentially exposing credentials and triggering unexpected actions.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 13 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-3172, OESA-2022-1979, RHBA-2022:7200

## What is CVE-2022-3172?

CVE-2022-3172 is a medium-severity server-side request forgery vulnerability in Kubernetes kube-apiserver, published on 3 Nov 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A security issue was discovered in kube-apiserver that allows an 
aggregated API server to redirect client traffic to any URL.  This could
 lead to the client performing unexpected actions as well as forwarding 
the client's API server credentials to third parties.

Weakness: CWE-918 (Server-Side Request Forgery)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-3172?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `openshift` | Red Hat:openshift:4.11::el8 | All versions | 0:4.11.0-202210122157.p0.g5157800.assembly.stream.el8 |
| `openshift-hyperkube` | Red Hat:openshift:4.11::el8 | All versions | 0:4.11.0-202210122157.p0.g5157800.assembly.stream.el8 |

Products: Kubernetes Apiserver.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-3172?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-3172 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-3172 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- https://github.com/UgOrange/CVE-2022-3172 (github_poc): https://github.com/UgOrange/CVE-2022-3172

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-3172 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-3172 is a medium-severity server-side request forgery vulnerability in Kubernetes kube-apiserver, published on 3 Nov 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-3172 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Kubernetes kube-apiserver. 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-2022-3172/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3172/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-3172
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-3172
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-3172

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3172/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.