# CVE-2023-26484: On a compromised KubeVirt node, the virt-handler service account can be used to modify all node specs

> A compromised KubeVirt node allows attackers to modify node specs via the virt-handler service account, escalating privileges to access cluster secrets and other nodes.

- **Severity:** High 8.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **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:** 15 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 25 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-25673, AZL-34902, GHSA-cp96-jpmq-xrr2, SUSE-SU-2023:1967-1, openSUSE-SU-2024:12792-1

## What is CVE-2023-26484?

CVE-2023-26484 is a high-severity vulnerability in kubevirt, published on 15 Mar 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

KubeVirt is a virtual machine management add-on for Kubernetes. In versions 0.59.0 and prior, if a malicious user has taken over a Kubernetes node where virt-handler (the KubeVirt node-daemon) is running, the virt-handler service account can be used to modify all node specs. This can be misused to lure-in system-level-privileged components which can, for instance, read all secrets on the cluster, or can exec into pods on other nodes. This way, a compromised node can be used to elevate privileges beyond the node until potentially having full privileged access to the whole cluster. The simplest way to exploit this, once a user could compromise a specific node, is to set with the virt-handler service account all other nodes to unschedulable and simply wait until system-critical components with high privileges appear on its node. No patches are available as of time of publication. As a workaround, gatekeeper users can add a webhook which will block the `virt-handler` service account to modify the spec of a node.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-26484?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including kubevirt.io/kubevirt. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `kubevirt.io/kubevirt` | Go | All versions to 0.59.0 | None |
| `kubevirt.io/kubevirt` | Go | All versions to 0.59.0 | None |
| `kubevirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | All versions | 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 |
| `kubevirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 | All versions | 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 |
| `kubevirt` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP4 | All versions | 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 |
| `kubevirt` | openSUSE:Leap 15.4 | All versions | 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 |
| `kubevirt` | openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.3 | All versions | 0.54.0-150400.3.13.1 |
| `kubevirt` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 0.59.0-2.1 |

Products: Kubevirt Kubevirt.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-26484?

Apply a workaround.

## Is CVE-2023-26484 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-26484 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in kubevirt

- [CVE-2020-14316](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14316/): Privilege Escalation in kubevirt (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2022-1798](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1798/): Path Traversal vulnerability in Kubevirt (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2025-64324](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-64324/): KubeVirt Vulnerable to Arbitrary Host File Read and Write (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2026-13201](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-13201/): Path traversal in Red Hat Container Native Virtualization 4.12 (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2025-64436](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-64436/): KubeVirt Excessive Role Permissions Could Enable Unauthorized VMI Migrations Between Nodes (medium 6.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-26484 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-26484 is a high-severity vulnerability in kubevirt, published on 15 Mar 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-2023-26484 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- kubevirt.io/kubevirt (Go): affected all versions up to 0.59.0; no fix listed
- kubevirt.io/kubevirt (Go): affected all versions up to 0.59.0; no fix listed

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-2023-26484/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26484/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-26484
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-26484
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-26484

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26484/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.