CVE-2018-1002105

Privilege Escalation in Kubernetes

In all Kubernetes versions prior to v1.10.11, v1.11.5, and v1.12.3, incorrect handling of error responses to proxied upgrade requests in the kube-apiserver allowed specially crafted requests to establish a connection through the Kubernetes API server to backend servers, then send arbitrary requests over the same connection directly to the backend, authenticated with the Kubernetes API server's TLS credentials used to establish the backend connection.

The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access. Typical impact: privilege escalation beyond the intended level.

CVE-2018-1002105 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.10.11, 1.11.5, 1.12.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2018-1002105? CVE-2018-1002105 is a critical-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes (go), affecting versions < 1.10.11. It is fixed in 1.10.11, 1.11.5, 1.12.3. The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access.
2. How severe is CVE-2018-1002105? CVE-2018-1002105 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes are affected by CVE-2018-1002105? github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes (go) versions < 1.10.11 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2018-1002105? Yes. CVE-2018-1002105 is fixed in 1.10.11, 1.11.5, 1.12.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2018-1002105 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2018-1002105 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2018-1002105 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2018-1002105?
   • Upgrade github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes to 1.10.11 or later
   • Upgrade github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes to 1.11.5 or later
   • Upgrade github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes to 1.12.3 or later

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes