What is CVE-2020-8565?

CVE-2020-8565 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in k8s.io/client-go (go), affecting versions >= 0.19.0, < 0.19.6. It is fixed in 0.19.6, 0.20.0-alpha.2, 0.18.14, 0.17.16, 1.20.0-alpha.2.

How severe is CVE-2020-8565?

CVE-2020-8565 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (Medium). 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.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-8565?

k8s.io/client-go (go) versions >= 0.19.0, < 0.19.6; k8s.io/kubernetes (go) versions < 1.20.0-alpha.2.

Is there a fix for CVE-2020-8565?

Yes. CVE-2020-8565 is fixed in 0.19.6, 0.20.0-alpha.2, 0.18.14, 0.17.16, 1.20.0-alpha.2. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2020-8565 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-8565 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2020-8565 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.

CVE-2020-8565 in k8s.io/client-go

Q: How severe is CVE-2020-8565?

CVE-2020-8565 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (Medium). 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.

Q: Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-8565?

k8s.io/client-go (go) versions >= 0.19.0, < 0.19.6; k8s.io/kubernetes (go) versions < 1.20.0-alpha.2.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2020-8565?

Yes. CVE-2020-8565 is fixed in 0.19.6, 0.20.0-alpha.2, 0.18.14, 0.17.16, 1.20.0-alpha.2. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2020-8565 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-8565 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2020-8565 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2020-8565?

Upgrade: k8s.io/client-go to 0.19.6 or later, k8s.io/client-go to 0.20.0-alpha.2 or later, k8s.io/client-go to 0.18.14 or later, k8s.io/client-go to 0.17.16 or later, k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.20.0-alpha.2 or later.

Summary

Kubernetes client-go vulnerable to Sensitive Information Leak via Log File

In Kubernetes, if the logging level is set to at least 9, authorization and bearer tokens will be written to log files. This can occur both in API server logs and client tool output like kubectl. This affects <= v1.19.5, <= v1.18.13, <= v1.17.15, < v1.20.0-alpha2.

Impact

CVE-2020-8565 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low 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 (0.19.6, 0.20.0-alpha.2, 0.18.14, 0.17.16, 1.20.0-alpha.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

k8s.io/client-go (>= 0.19.0, < 0.19.6) k8s.io/client-go (>= 0.20.0-alpha.0, < 0.20.0-alpha.2) k8s.io/client-go (>= 0.18.0, < 0.18.14) k8s.io/client-go (< 0.17.16) k8s.io/kubernetes (< 1.20.0-alpha.2)

Security releases

k8s.io/client-go → 0.19.6 (go) k8s.io/client-go → 0.20.0-alpha.2 (go) k8s.io/client-go → 0.18.14 (go) k8s.io/client-go → 0.17.16 (go) k8s.io/kubernetes → 1.20.0-alpha.2 (go)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

k8s.io/client-go to 0.19.6 or later; k8s.io/client-go to 0.20.0-alpha.2 or later; k8s.io/client-go to 0.18.14 or later; k8s.io/client-go to 0.17.16 or later; k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.20.0-alpha.2 or later

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-8565? CVE-2020-8565 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in k8s.io/client-go (go), affecting versions >= 0.19.0, < 0.19.6. It is fixed in 0.19.6, 0.20.0-alpha.2, 0.18.14, 0.17.16, 1.20.0-alpha.2.
How severe is CVE-2020-8565? CVE-2020-8565 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (Medium). 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.
Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-8565?
- k8s.io/client-go (go) (versions >= 0.19.0, < 0.19.6)
- k8s.io/kubernetes (go) (versions < 1.20.0-alpha.2)
Is there a fix for CVE-2020-8565? Yes. CVE-2020-8565 is fixed in 0.19.6, 0.20.0-alpha.2, 0.18.14, 0.17.16, 1.20.0-alpha.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2020-8565 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-8565 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
What actually determines whether CVE-2020-8565 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.
How do I fix CVE-2020-8565?
- Upgrade k8s.io/client-go to 0.19.6 or later
- Upgrade k8s.io/client-go to 0.20.0-alpha.2 or later
- Upgrade k8s.io/client-go to 0.18.14 or later
- Upgrade k8s.io/client-go to 0.17.16 or later
- Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.20.0-alpha.2 or later

Other vulnerabilities in k8s.io/client-go

CVE-IDSeverityPackage summary

CVE-2019-11250Mediumk8s.io/client-go: Kubernetes client-go library logs may disclose credentials to unauthorized users CVE-2019-11244Mediumk8s.io/client-go: Kubernetes Unsafe Cacheing