# CVE-2023-41333: Bypass of namespace restrictions in CiliumNetworkPolicy > An attacker with namespace-level API access can bypass Cilium network policy restrictions to affect cluster-wide traffic, requiring an upgrade or admission webhook workaround. - **Severity:** Medium 6.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** An administrator - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 26 Sep 2023 - **Updated:** 23 Sep 2024 - **Also known as:** BIT-cilium-2023-41333, BIT-cilium-operator-2023-41333, BIT-cilium-proxy-2023-41333, BIT-hubble-2023-41333, BIT-hubble-relay-2023-41333, BIT-hubble-ui-2023-41333, BIT-hubble-ui-backend-2023-41333, GHSA-4xp2-w642-7mcx, GO-2023-2080 ## What is CVE-2023-41333? CVE-2023-41333 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in cilium, published on 26 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Cilium is a networking, observability, and security solution with an eBPF-based dataplane. An attacker with the ability to create or modify CiliumNetworkPolicy objects in a particular namespace is able to affect traffic on an entire Cilium cluster, potentially bypassing policy enforcement in other namespaces. By using a crafted `endpointSelector` that uses the `DoesNotExist` operator on the `reserved:init` label, the attacker can create policies that bypass namespace restrictions and affect the entire Cilium cluster. This includes potentially allowing or denying all traffic. This attack requires API server access, as described in the Kubernetes API Server Attacker section of the Cilium Threat Model. This issue has been resolved in Cilium versions 1.14.2, 1.13.7, and 1.12.14. As a workaround an admission webhook can be used to prevent the use of `endpointSelectors` that use the `DoesNotExist` operator on the `reserved:init` label in CiliumNetworkPolicies. Weakness: CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-41333? 14 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/cilium/cilium, cilium and cilium-operator. It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | All versions | 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 | | `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | All versions | 1.12.14 | | `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | All versions | 1.12.14 | | `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | From 1.13.0 | 1.13.7 | | `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | From 1.13.0 | 1.13.7 | | `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | From 1.14.0 | 1.14.2 | | `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | From 1.14.0 | 1.14.2 | | `cilium` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 | | `cilium-operator` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 | | `cilium-proxy` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 | | `hubble` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 | | `hubble-relay` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 | | `hubble-ui` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 | | `hubble-ui-backend` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 | Products: Cilium Cilium. ## How do I fix CVE-2023-41333? Upgrade github.com/cilium/cilium to a fixed version for your release line: 1.12.14, 1.13.7 or 1.14.2. ## Is CVE-2023-41333 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-41333 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Other vulnerabilities in cilium - [CVE-2026-49445](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49445/): Cilium: Sensitive information disclosure and cluster disruption via local Envoy admin socket access (critical 9.2) - [CVE-2022-29178](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-29178/): Incorrect Default Permissions in Cilium (high 8.8) - [CVE-2024-28860](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-28860/): Insecure IPsec transport encryption in Cilium (high 8.0) - [CVE-2026-41520](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41520/): Cillium exposes sensitive information included in the cilium-bugtool debug archive (high 7.9) - [CVE-2024-37307](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37307/): Cilium leaks sensitive information in cilium-bugtool (high 7.9) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2023-41333 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2023-41333 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in cilium, published on 26 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-41333 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected packages and fixed versions: - github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 - github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.14 - github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.14 - github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected from 1.13.0; fixed in 1.13.7 - github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected from 1.13.0; fixed in 1.13.7 - github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected from 1.14.0; fixed in 1.14.2 - github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected from 1.14.0; fixed in 1.14.2 - cilium (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 - cilium-operator (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 - cilium-proxy (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 - hubble (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 - hubble-relay (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 1.12.14, 1.13.7, 1.14.2 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-2023-41333/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41333/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-41333 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-41333 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-41333 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41333/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.