# CVE-2024-3177: Bypassing mountable secrets policy imposed by the ServiceAccount admission plugin

> Attackers can bypass mountable secrets policies in Kubernetes clusters using specific container configurations, requiring the ServiceAccount admission plugin to be enabled.

- **Severity:** Low 2.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/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:** 22 Apr 2024
- **Updated:** 10 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** AZL-40016, AZL-40051, CLEANSTART-2026-HJ51223, CLEANSTART-2026-OM15124, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-3177, GHSA-pxhw-596r-rwq5, GO-2024-2746, MINI-jggh-27w4-pg48, OESA-2024-1550, OESA-2024-1576, OESA-2024-1577, OESA-2024-1579, OESA-2024-1580, OESA-2024-1626, SUSE-SU-2024:1403-1, SUSE-SU-2024:1404-1

## What is CVE-2024-3177?

CVE-2024-3177 is a low-severity vulnerability in Kubernetes, published on 22 Apr 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A security issue was discovered in Kubernetes where users may be able to launch containers that bypass the mountable secrets policy enforced by the ServiceAccount admission plugin when using containers, init containers, and ephemeral containers with the envFrom field populated. 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 containers, init containers, and ephemeral containers with the envFrom field populated.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-3177?

7 open source packages ship an affected version, including k8s.io/kubernetes.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | All versions | 1.27.13, 1.28.9, 1.29.4 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | All versions | 1.27.13 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | All versions | 1.27.13 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.28.0 | 1.28.9 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.28.0 | 1.28.9 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.29.0 | 1.29.4 |
| `k8s.io/kubernetes` | Go | From 1.29.0 | 1.29.4 |
| `kubernetes1.23` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP5 | All versions | 1.23.17-150500.3.12.1 |
| `kubernetes1.24` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP5 | All versions | 1.24.17-150500.3.16.1 |
| `kubernetes1.23` | openSUSE:Leap 15.5 | All versions | 1.23.17-150500.3.12.1 |
| `kubernetes1.24` | openSUSE:Leap 15.5 | All versions | 1.24.17-150500.3.16.1 |

## How do I fix CVE-2024-3177?

Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to a fixed version for your release line: 1.27.13, 1.28.9 or 1.29.4.

## Is CVE-2024-3177 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-3177 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

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-3177 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-3177 is a low-severity vulnerability in Kubernetes, published on 22 Apr 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-3177 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.27.13, 1.28.9, 1.29.4
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.27.13
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.27.13
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.28.0; fixed in 1.28.9
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.28.0; fixed in 1.28.9
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.29.0; fixed in 1.29.4
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): affected from 1.29.0; fixed in 1.29.4

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-2024-3177/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-3177/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-3177
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-3177
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-3177

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-3177/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.