What is CVE-2022-24878?

CVE-2022-24878 is a high-severity security vulnerability in github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller (go), affecting versions >= 0.16.0, < 0.24.0. It is fixed in 0.24.0, 0.29.0.

How severe is CVE-2022-24878?

CVE-2022-24878 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). 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-2022-24878?

github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller (go) versions >= 0.16.0, = 0.19.0, < 0.29.0.

Is there a fix for CVE-2022-24878?

Yes. CVE-2022-24878 is fixed in 0.24.0, 0.29.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2022-24878 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2022-24878 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-2022-24878 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-2022-24878?

Upgrade: github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller to 0.24.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/flux2 to 0.29.0 or later.

CVE-2022-24878

Q: How severe is CVE-2022-24878?

CVE-2022-24878 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). 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-2022-24878?

github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller (go) versions >= 0.16.0, = 0.19.0, < 0.29.0.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2022-24878?

Yes. CVE-2022-24878 is fixed in 0.24.0, 0.29.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2022-24878 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2022-24878 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-2022-24878 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-2022-24878?

Upgrade: github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller to 0.24.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/flux2 to 0.29.0 or later.

Summary

Improper path handling in Kustomization files allows for denial of service

The kustomize-controller enables the use of Kustomize’s functionality when applying Kubernetes declarative state onto a cluster. A malicious user can use a specially crafted kustomization.yaml to cause Denial of Service at controller level.

In multi-tenancy deployments this can lead to multiple tenants not being able to apply their Kustomizations until the malicious kustomization.yaml is removed and the controller restarted.

Credits

The Flux engineering team found and patched this vulnerability.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory please open an issue in the flux2 repository.

Impact

Within the affected versions, users with write access to a Flux source are able to craft a malicious kustomization.yaml file which causes the controller to enter an endless loop.

CVE-2022-24878 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). 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 (0.24.0, 0.29.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller (>= 0.16.0, < 0.24.0) github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (>= 0.19.0, < 0.29.0)

Security releases

github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller → 0.24.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/flux2 → 0.29.0 (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

This vulnerability was fixed in kustomize-controller v0.24.0 and included in flux2 v0.29.0 released on 2022-04-20. The changes introduce better handling of Kustomization files blocking references that could lead to endless loops.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-24878? CVE-2022-24878 is a high-severity security vulnerability in github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller (go), affecting versions >= 0.16.0, < 0.24.0. It is fixed in 0.24.0, 0.29.0.
How severe is CVE-2022-24878? CVE-2022-24878 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). 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-2022-24878?
- github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller (go) (versions >= 0.16.0, < 0.24.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (go) (versions >= 0.19.0, < 0.29.0)
Is there a fix for CVE-2022-24878? Yes. CVE-2022-24878 is fixed in 0.24.0, 0.29.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2022-24878 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-24878 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-2022-24878 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-2022-24878?
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller to 0.24.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/flux2 to 0.29.0 or later

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller

CVE-IDSeverityPackage summary

CVE-2022-39272Mediumgithub.com/fluxcd/flux2: Improper use of metav1.Duration allows for Denial of Service CVE-2022-24817Criticalgithub.com/fluxcd/flux2: Improper kubeconfig validation allows arbitrary code execution CVE-2022-24877Criticalgithub.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller: Improper path handling in kustomization files allows path traversal CVE-2021-41254Highgithub.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller: Privilege escalation to cluster admin on multi-tenant environments