What is CVE-2022-39272?

CVE-2022-39272 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (go), affecting versions >= 0.1.0, < 0.35.0. It is fixed in 0.35.0, 0.30.0, 0.29.0, 0.24.0, 0.27.0, 0.26.0, 0.22.0, 0.26.1, 0.22.1, 0.28.0. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.

How severe is CVE-2022-39272?

CVE-2022-39272 has a CVSS score of 5.0 (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-2022-39272?

github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (go) versions >= 0.1.0, = 0.0.1-alpha-1, = 0.0.1-alpha-1, = 0.0.1-alpha-1, = 0.0.1-alpha-1, = 0.1.0, = 0.1.0, < 0.22.0; github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller/api (go) versions < 0.26.0; github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller/api (go) versions < 0.26.1; github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller/api (go) versions < 0.22.1; github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api (go) versions < 0.30.0; github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller/api (go) versions < 0.28.0; github.com/fluxcd/source-controller/api (go) versions < 0.30.0.

Is CVE-2022-39272 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2022-39272 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-2022-39272 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-2022-39272 in github.com/fluxcd/flux2

Q: How severe is CVE-2022-39272?

CVE-2022-39272 has a CVSS score of 5.0 (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-2022-39272?

github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (go) versions >= 0.1.0, = 0.0.1-alpha-1, = 0.0.1-alpha-1, = 0.0.1-alpha-1, = 0.0.1-alpha-1, = 0.1.0, = 0.1.0, < 0.22.0; github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller/api (go) versions < 0.26.0; github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller/api (go) versions < 0.26.1; github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller/api (go) versions < 0.22.1; github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api (go) versions < 0.30.0; github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller/api (go) versions < 0.28.0; github.com/fluxcd/source-controller/api (go) versions < 0.30.0.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2022-39272?

Yes. CVE-2022-39272 is fixed in 0.35.0, 0.30.0, 0.29.0, 0.24.0, 0.27.0, 0.26.0, 0.22.0, 0.26.1, 0.22.1, 0.28.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2022-39272 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2022-39272 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-2022-39272 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-2022-39272?

Upgrade: github.com/fluxcd/flux2 to 0.35.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/source-controller to 0.30.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller to 0.29.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller to 0.24.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller to 0.27.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller to 0.26.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller to 0.22.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller/api to 0.26.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller/api to 0.26.1 or later, github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller/api to 0.22.1 or later, github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api to 0.30.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller/api to 0.28.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/source-controller/api to 0.30.0 or later.

Summary

Improper use of metav1.Duration allows for Denial of Service

Flux controllers within the affected versions range are vulnerable to a denial of service attack. Users that have permissions to change Flux’s objects, either through a Flux source or directly within a cluster, can provide invalid data to fields .spec.interval or .spec.timeout (and structured variations of these fields), causing the entire object type to stop being processed.

The issue has two root causes: a) the Kubernetes type metav1.Duration not being fully compatible with the Go type time.Duration as explained on upstream report; b) lack of validation within Flux to restrict allowed values.

Workarounds

Admission controllers can be employed to restrict the values that can be used for fields .spec.interval and .spec.timeout, however upgrading to the latest versions is still the recommended mitigation.

Credits

This issue was reported by Alexander Block (@codablock) through the Flux security mailing list (as recommended).

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.

References

https://github.com/kubernetes/apimachinery/issues/131

Impact

The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.

CVE-2022-39272 has a CVSS score of 5.0 (Medium). 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 (0.35.0, 0.30.0, 0.29.0, 0.24.0, 0.27.0, 0.26.0, 0.22.0, 0.26.1, 0.22.1, 0.28.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (>= 0.1.0, < 0.35.0) github.com/fluxcd/source-controller (>= 0.0.1-alpha-1, < 0.30.0) github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller (>= 0.0.1-alpha-1, < 0.29.0) github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller (>= 0.0.1-alpha-1, < 0.24.0) github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller (>= 0.0.1-alpha-1, < 0.27.0) github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller (>= 0.1.0, < 0.26.0) github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller (>= 0.1.0, < 0.22.0) github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller/api (< 0.26.0) github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller/api (< 0.26.1) github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller/api (< 0.22.1) github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api (< 0.30.0) github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller/api (< 0.28.0) github.com/fluxcd/source-controller/api (< 0.30.0)

Security releases

github.com/fluxcd/flux2 → 0.35.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/source-controller → 0.30.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller → 0.29.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller → 0.24.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller → 0.27.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller → 0.26.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller → 0.22.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller/api → 0.26.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller/api → 0.26.1 (go) github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller/api → 0.22.1 (go) github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api → 0.30.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller/api → 0.28.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/source-controller/api → 0.30.0 (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.

Already deployed Kodem?

See it in your environment New to Kodem? Get a demo →

Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

github.com/fluxcd/flux2 to 0.35.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/source-controller to 0.30.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller to 0.29.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller to 0.24.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller to 0.27.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller to 0.26.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller to 0.22.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller/api to 0.26.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller/api to 0.26.1 or later; github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller/api to 0.22.1 or later; github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api to 0.30.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller/api to 0.28.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/source-controller/api to 0.30.0 or later

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-39272? CVE-2022-39272 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (go), affecting versions >= 0.1.0, < 0.35.0. It is fixed in 0.35.0, 0.30.0, 0.29.0, 0.24.0, 0.27.0, 0.26.0, 0.22.0, 0.26.1, 0.22.1, 0.28.0. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
How severe is CVE-2022-39272? CVE-2022-39272 has a CVSS score of 5.0 (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-2022-39272?
- github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (go) (versions >= 0.1.0, < 0.35.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/source-controller (go) (versions >= 0.0.1-alpha-1, < 0.30.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller (go) (versions >= 0.0.1-alpha-1, < 0.29.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller (go) (versions >= 0.0.1-alpha-1, < 0.24.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller (go) (versions >= 0.0.1-alpha-1, < 0.27.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller (go) (versions >= 0.1.0, < 0.26.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller (go) (versions >= 0.1.0, < 0.22.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller/api (go) (versions < 0.26.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller/api (go) (versions < 0.26.1)
- github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller/api (go) (versions < 0.22.1)
- github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api (go) (versions < 0.30.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller/api (go) (versions < 0.28.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/source-controller/api (go) (versions < 0.30.0)
Is there a fix for CVE-2022-39272? Yes. CVE-2022-39272 is fixed in 0.35.0, 0.30.0, 0.29.0, 0.24.0, 0.27.0, 0.26.0, 0.22.0, 0.26.1, 0.22.1, 0.28.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2022-39272 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-39272 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-2022-39272 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-2022-39272?
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/flux2 to 0.35.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/source-controller to 0.30.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller to 0.29.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller to 0.24.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller to 0.27.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller to 0.26.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller to 0.22.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller/api to 0.26.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/image-automation-controller/api to 0.26.1 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/image-reflector-controller/api to 0.22.1 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller/api to 0.30.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/notification-controller/api to 0.28.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/source-controller/api to 0.30.0 or later

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/fluxcd/flux2

CVE-IDSeverityPackage summary

CVE-2022-36049Highgithub.com/fluxcd/helm-controller: Helm Controller denial of service CVE-2022-36035Highgithub.com/fluxcd/flux2: Flux CLI Workload Injection CVE-2022-24878Highgithub.com/fluxcd/kustomize-controller: Improper path handling in Kustomization files 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