# CVE-2024-42487: Cilium's Gateway API route matching order contradicts specification

> Cilium incorrectly prioritizes header matching over method matching in Gateway API routes, potentially allowing security policy bypasses.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Aug 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** BIT-cilium-2024-42487, BIT-cilium-operator-2024-42487, BIT-hubble-relay-2024-42487, GHSA-qcm3-7879-xcww, GO-2024-3071

## What is CVE-2024-42487?

CVE-2024-42487 is a medium-severity vulnerability in cilium, published on 15 Aug 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Cilium is a networking, observability, and security solution with an eBPF-based dataplane. In the 1.15 branch prior to 1.15.8 and the 1.16 branch prior to 1.16.1, Gateway API HTTPRoutes and GRPCRoutes do not follow the match precedence specified in the Gateway API specification. In particular, request headers are matched before request methods, when the specification describes that the request methods must be respected before headers are matched. This could result in unexpected behaviour with security This issue is fixed in Cilium v1.15.8 and v1.16.1. There is no workaround for this issue.

Weakness: CWE-436 (Interpretation Conflict), CWE-113 (Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences in HTTP Headers)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-42487?

8 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 | From 1.15.0 | 1.15.8, 1.16.1 |
| `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | From 1.15.0 | 1.15.8 |
| `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | From 1.15.0 | 1.15.8 |
| `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | From 1.16.0 | 1.16.1 |
| `github.com/cilium/cilium` | Go | From 1.16.0 | 1.16.1 |
| `cilium` | Bitnami | From 1.15.0 | 1.16.1 |
| `cilium-operator` | Bitnami | From 1.15.4 | 1.16.1 |
| `hubble-relay` | Bitnami | From 1.15.0 | 1.16.1 |

Products: Cilium Cilium.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-42487?

Upgrade github.com/cilium/cilium to a fixed version for your release line: 1.15.8 or 1.16.1.

## Is CVE-2024-42487 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-42487 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-2024-42487 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-42487 is a medium-severity vulnerability in cilium, published on 15 Aug 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-42487 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected from 1.15.0; fixed in 1.15.8, 1.16.1
- github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected from 1.15.0; fixed in 1.15.8
- github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected from 1.15.0; fixed in 1.15.8
- github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected from 1.16.0; fixed in 1.16.1
- github.com/cilium/cilium (Go): affected from 1.16.0; fixed in 1.16.1
- cilium (Bitnami): affected from 1.15.0; fixed in 1.16.1
- cilium-operator (Bitnami): affected from 1.15.4; fixed in 1.16.1
- hubble-relay (Bitnami): affected from 1.15.0; fixed in 1.16.1

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-2024-42487/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-42487/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-42487
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-42487
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-42487

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-42487/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.