# CVE-2023-22651: Rancher Webhook is misconfigured during upgrade process

> Attackers can escalate privileges in SUSE Rancher due to a webhook misconfiguration occurring during specific upgrade paths.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 4 May 2023
- **Updated:** 29 Jan 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6m9f-pj6w-w87g

## What is CVE-2023-22651?

CVE-2023-22651 is a critical vulnerability in SUSE Rancher, published on 4 May 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in SUSE Rancher allows Privilege Escalation. A failure in the update logic of Rancher's admission Webhook may lead to
 the misconfiguration of the Webhook. This component enforces validation
 rules and security checks before resources are admitted into the 
Kubernetes cluster.
The issue only affects users that upgrade from 2.6.x or 2.7.x to 2.7.2. Users that did a fresh install of 2.7.2 (and did not follow an upgrade path) are not affected.

Weakness: CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions), CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-22651?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/rancher/rancher. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/rancher/rancher` | Go | From 0.0.0-20220922131902-ec6d6d3a7616 | 0.0.0-20230424183121-6d9a175954c6 |
| `github.com/rancher/rancher` | Go | From 0.0.0-20220922131902-ec6d6d3a7616 | 0.0.0-20230424183121-6d9a175954c6 |
| `github.com/rancher/rancher` | Go | From 2.7.2 | 2.7.3 |
| `github.com/rancher/rancher` | Go | From 2.7.2 | 2.7.3 |

Products: Suse Rancher.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-22651?

Upgrade github.com/rancher/rancher to a fixed version for your release line: 0.0.0-20230424183121-6d9a175954c6 or 2.7.3.

## Is CVE-2023-22651 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-22651 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in SUSE Rancher

- [CVE-2023-22647](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22647/): Rancher vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via manipulation of Secrets (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2022-43757](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43757/): Rancher: Exposure of sensitive fields (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2021-36782](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-36782/): Rancher: Plaintext storage and exposure of credentials in Rancher API and cluster.management.cattle.io object (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2021-36783](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-36783/): Rancher: Failure to properly sanitize credentials in cluster template answers (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2019-11202](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11202/): Rancher Recreates Default User With Known Password Despite Deletion (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-22651 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-22651 is a critical vulnerability in SUSE Rancher, published on 4 May 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-22651 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/rancher/rancher (Go): affected from 0.0.0-20220922131902-ec6d6d3a7616; fixed in 0.0.0-20230424183121-6d9a175954c6
- github.com/rancher/rancher (Go): affected from 0.0.0-20220922131902-ec6d6d3a7616; fixed in 0.0.0-20230424183121-6d9a175954c6
- github.com/rancher/rancher (Go): affected from 2.7.2; fixed in 2.7.3
- github.com/rancher/rancher (Go): affected from 2.7.2; fixed in 2.7.3

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-2023-22651/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22651/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-22651
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-22651
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-22651

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22651/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.