CVE-2026-42296 Argo has incomplete fix for CVE-2026-31892: hostNetwork, securityContext, serviceAccountName bypass templateReferencing Strict/Secure
Attackers with workflow creation permissions can bypass strict template referencing to gain host network access or modify pod security contexts.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-42296?
CVE-2026-42296 is a high-severity vulnerability in argoproj argo-workflows, published on 9 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Argo Workflows is an open source container-native workflow engine for orchestrating parallel jobs on Kubernetes. Prior to versions 3.7.14 and 4.0.5, a user with create Workflow permission can bypass templateReferencing: Strict to get host network access, switch service accounts, override pod security context, add tolerations to schedule on control-plane nodes, or enable SA token mounting. This defeats the stated purpose of the feature. The practical impact depends on what Kubernetes-level controls are in place. Clusters with PodSecurity admission or OPA/Gatekeeper would independently block some of these (like hostNetwork). Clusters that rely on Argo's Strict mode as the primary enforcement layer are fully exposed. This issue has been patched in versions 3.7.14 and 4.0.5.
Weakness: CWE-863
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-42296?
9 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3, argo-workflows and github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3 Go | All versions | 3.7.14 |
github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3 Go | All versions | 3.7.14 |
github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3 Go | All versions | 3.7.14 |
argo-workflows Bitnami | All versions | 3.7.14, 4.0.5 |
github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows Go | All versions | None |
github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v2 Go | All versions | None |
3 more packages
github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v4 Go | From 4.0.0 | 4.0.5 |
github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v4 Go | From 4.0.0 | 4.0.5 |
github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v4 Go | From 4.0.0 | 4.0.5 |
Products include Argoproj Argo Workflows.
How do I fix CVE-2026-42296?
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3 to 3.7.14 or later.
Is CVE-2026-42296 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-42296 exists.
Other vulnerabilities in argoproj argo-workflows
- CVE-2026-28229 Argo Workflows has unauthorized access to Argo Workflows Template
- CVE-2026-54526 Argo Workflows: Incomplete fix for CVE-2026-31892: ArtifactGC.PodSpecPatch bypass of Strict/Secure templateReferencing
- CVE-2026-31892 WorkflowTemplate Security Bypass via podSpecPatch in Strict/Secure Reference Mode
- CVE-2026-42295 Argo Workflows: Exposure of artifact repository credentials
- CVE-2026-42297 Argo Workflows Is Missing Authorization in Sync ConfigMap Provider
Sources
Also known as BIT-argo-workflows-2026-42296, ECHO-81a1-8435-98ad, GHSA-3775-99mw-8rp4, GO-2026-5072, MINI-26gf-8j6m-v682, MINI-2q6g-q42f-xjqm and 7 more.