# CVE-2023-2728: Bypassing enforce mountable secrets policy imposed by the ServiceAccount admission plugin

> Attackers can bypass mountable secrets policies in Kubernetes clusters using ephemeral containers, potentially accessing unauthorized secrets.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Jul 2023
- **Updated:** 13 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2023-2728, GHSA-cgcv-5272-97pr, GO-2023-1892, openSUSE-SU-2024:13011-1

## What is CVE-2023-2728?

CVE-2023-2728 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Kubernetes Kubernetes, published on 3 Jul 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Users may be able to launch containers that bypass the mountable secrets policy enforced by the ServiceAccount admission plugin when using ephemeral containers. The policy ensures pods running with a service account may only reference secrets specified in the service account’s secrets field. Kubernetes clusters are only affected if the ServiceAccount admission plugin and the `kubernetes.io/enforce-mountable-secrets` annotation are used together with ephemeral containers.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-2728?

9 open source packages ship an affected version, including k8s.io/kubernetes. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | All versions | 1.24.15, 1.25.11, 1.26.6, 1.27.3 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | All versions | 1.24.15 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | All versions | 1.24.15 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.25.0 | 1.25.11 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.25.0 | 1.25.11 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.26.0 | 1.26.6 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.26.0 | 1.26.6 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.27.0 | 1.27.3 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.27.0 | 1.27.3 |
| `kubernetes1.24` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 1.24.15-2.1 |

Products: Kubernetes Kubernetes.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-2728?

Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to a fixed version for your release line: 1.24.15, 1.25.11, 1.26.6 or 1.27.3.

## Is CVE-2023-2728 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-2728 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Module written in Ruby with the objective of exploiting vulnerabilities CVE-2023-2728 and CVE-2024-3177, both related to the secret mount policy in a Kubernetes cluster using a custom Metasploit module.  Part of a Cybersecurity Master's degree finalization project. (github_poc): https://github.com/Cgv-Dev/Metasploit-Module-TFM

## Other vulnerabilities in Kubernetes Kubernetes

- [CVE-2018-1002105](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1002105/): Privilege Escalation in Kubernetes (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-1000056](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1000056/): Kubernetes Privilege Escalation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-1906](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1906/): Authorization bypass in Openshift (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-3676](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3676/): Kubernetes - Windows nodes - Insufficient input sanitization leads to privilege escalation (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-3955](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3955/): Kubernetes - Windows nodes - Insufficient input sanitization leads to privilege escalation (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-2728 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-2728 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Kubernetes Kubernetes, published on 3 Jul 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-2728 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.24.15, 1.25.11, 1.26.6, 1.27.3
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.24.15
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.24.15
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.25.0; fixed in 1.25.11
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.25.0; fixed in 1.25.11
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.26.0; fixed in 1.26.6
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.26.0; fixed in 1.26.6
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.27.0; fixed in 1.27.3
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.27.0; fixed in 1.27.3

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-2023-2728/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2728/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-2728
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-2728
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-2728

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2728/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.