# CVE-2023-22482: JWT audience claim is not verified > Argo CD fails to validate JWT audience claims, allowing attackers to use tokens intended for other services to gain unauthorized access and privileges. - **Severity:** Critical 9.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/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:** 25 Jan 2023 - **Updated:** 11 Mar 2025 - **Also known as:** GHSA-q9hr-j4rf-8fjc, GO-2023-1520 ## What is CVE-2023-22482? CVE-2023-22482 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Argoproj Argo Cd, published on 25 Jan 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. Versions of Argo CD starting with v1.8.2 and prior to 2.3.13, 2.4.19, 2.5.6, and 2.6.0-rc-3 are vulnerable to an improper authorization bug causing the API to accept certain invalid tokens. OIDC providers include an `aud` (audience) claim in signed tokens. The value of that claim specifies the intended audience(s) of the token (i.e. the service or services which are meant to accept the token). Argo CD _does_ validate that the token was signed by Argo CD's configured OIDC provider. But Argo CD _does not_ validate the audience claim, so it will accept tokens that are not intended for Argo CD. If Argo CD's configured OIDC provider also serves other audiences (for example, a file storage service), then Argo CD will accept a token intended for one of those other audiences. Argo CD will grant the user privileges based on the token's `groups` claim, even though those groups were not intended to be used by Argo CD. This bug also increases the impact of a stolen token. If an attacker steals a valid token for a different audience, they can use it to access Argo CD. A patch for this vulnerability has been released in versions 2.6.0-rc3, 2.5.6, 2.4.19, and 2.3.13. There are no workarounds. Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-22482? 10 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/argoproj/argo-cd and github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2. It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd` | Go | From 1.8.2 | None | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd` | Go | From 1.8.2 | 2.3.14 | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd` | Go | From 1.8.2 | 2.3.14 | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd` | Go | From 2.4.0 | 2.4.20 | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd` | Go | From 2.4.0 | 2.4.20 | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd` | Go | From 2.5.0 | 2.5.8 | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd` | Go | From 2.5.0 | 2.5.8 | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd` | Go | From 2.6.0-rc1 | 2.6.0-rc5 | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd` | Go | From 2.6.0-rc1 | 2.6.0-rc5 | | `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2` | Go | All versions | 2.3.14, 2.4.20, 2.5.8, 2.6.0-rc5 | Products: Argoproj Argo Cd. ## How do I fix CVE-2023-22482? Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd to a fixed version for your release line: 2.3.14, 2.4.20, 2.5.8 or 2.6.0-rc5. ## Is CVE-2023-22482 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-22482 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Other vulnerabilities in Argoproj Argo Cd - [CVE-2025-55190](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55190/): Argo CD: Project API Token Exposes Repository Credentials (critical 10.0) - [CVE-2022-29165](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-29165/): Argo CD will blindly trust JWT claims if anonymous access is enabled (critical 10.0) - [CVE-2023-40029](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40029/): Cluster secret might leak in cluster details page in Argo CD (critical 9.9) - [CVE-2022-24768](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24768/): Improper access control allows admin privilege escalation in Argo CD (critical 9.9) - [CVE-2024-21652](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21652/): Argo CD vulnerable to Bypassing of Brute Force Protection via Application Crash and In-Memory Data Loss (critical 9.8) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2023-22482 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2023-22482 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Argoproj Argo Cd, published on 25 Jan 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-22482 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected packages and fixed versions: - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go): affected from 1.8.2; no fix listed - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go): affected from 1.8.2; fixed in 2.3.14 - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go): affected from 1.8.2; fixed in 2.3.14 - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go): affected from 2.4.0; fixed in 2.4.20 - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go): affected from 2.4.0; fixed in 2.4.20 - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go): affected from 2.5.0; fixed in 2.5.8 - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go): affected from 2.5.0; fixed in 2.5.8 - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go): affected from 2.6.0-rc1; fixed in 2.6.0-rc5 - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go): affected from 2.6.0-rc1; fixed in 2.6.0-rc5 - github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 2.3.14, 2.4.20, 2.5.8, 2.6.0-rc5 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-2023-22482/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22482/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-22482 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-22482 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-22482 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22482/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.