Summary
Flux CLI Workload Injection
Flux CLI allows users to deploy Flux components into a Kubernetes cluster via command-line. The vulnerability allows other applications to replace the Flux deployment information with arbitrary content which is deployed into the target Kubernetes cluster instead.
The vulnerability is due to the improper handling of user-supplied input, which results in a path traversal that can be controlled by the attacker.
Workarounds
A safe workaround is to execute Flux CLI in ephemeral and isolated shell environments, which can ensure no persistent values exist from previous processes. However, upgrading to the latest version of the CLI is still the recommended mitigation strategy.
Credits
The Flux engineering team found and patched this vulnerability.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in any of the affected repositories.
- Contact us at the CNCF Flux Channel.
Impact
Users sharing the same shell between other applications and the Flux CLI commands could be affected by this vulnerability.
In some scenarios no errors may be presented, which may cause end users not to realise that something is amiss.
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
CVE-2022-36035 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). The vector is requires local access, high privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (0.32.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-36035? CVE-2022-36035 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (go), affecting versions >= 0.21.0, < 0.32.0. It is fixed in 0.32.0. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is CVE-2022-36035? CVE-2022-36035 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 versions of github.com/fluxcd/flux2 are affected by CVE-2022-36035? github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (go) versions >= 0.21.0, < 0.32.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-36035? Yes. CVE-2022-36035 is fixed in 0.32.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-36035 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-36035 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-2022-36035 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-2022-36035? Upgrade
github.com/fluxcd/flux2to 0.32.0 or later.