CVE-2021-25320 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in github.com/rancher/rancher (go), affecting versions >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.16. It is fixed in 2.4.16, 2.5.9.
A vulnerability was discovered in Rancher 2.2.0 through the aforementioned patched versions, where cloud credentials weren't being properly validated through the Rancher API. Specifically through a proxy designed to communicate with cloud providers. Any Rancher user that was logged-in and aware of a cloud-credential ID that was valid for a given cloud provider, could call that cloud provider's API through the proxy API, and the cloud-credential would be attached. The exploit is limited to valid Rancher users. There is not a direct mitigation outside of upgrading to the patched Rancher versions.
CVE-2021-25320 has a CVSS score of 9.9 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, 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 (2.4.16, 2.5.9). Upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
go
github.com/rancher/rancher (>= 2.2.0, < 2.4.16)github.com/rancher/rancher (>= 2.5.0, < 2.5.9)github.com/rancher/rancher → 2.4.16 (go)github.com/rancher/rancher → 2.5.9 (go)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 instead of chasing every advisory.
Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether CVE-2021-25320 is reachable in your applications. Explore open-source security for your team.
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Already deployed Kodem? See CVE-2021-25320 in your environment →Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:
github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.4.16 or latergithub.com/rancher/rancher to 2.5.9 or laterKodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
CVE-2021-25320 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in github.com/rancher/rancher (go), affecting versions >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.16. It is fixed in 2.4.16, 2.5.9.
CVE-2021-25320 has a CVSS score of 9.9 (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.
github.com/rancher/rancher (go) versions >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.16 is affected.
Yes. CVE-2021-25320 is fixed in 2.4.16, 2.5.9. Upgrade to this version or later.
Whether CVE-2021-25320 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
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.
github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.4.16 or latergithub.com/rancher/rancher to 2.5.9 or later