What is CVE-2023-27483?

CVE-2023-27483 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime (go), affecting versions >= 0.17.0, < 0.19.2. It is fixed in 0.19.2, 0.16.1. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.

How severe is CVE-2023-27483?

CVE-2023-27483 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (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 versions of github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime are affected by CVE-2023-27483?

github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime (go) versions >= 0.17.0, < 0.19.2 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2023-27483?

Yes. CVE-2023-27483 is fixed in 0.19.2, 0.16.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2023-27483 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2023-27483 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-2023-27483 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-2023-27483

Q: How severe is CVE-2023-27483?

CVE-2023-27483 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (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 versions of github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime are affected by CVE-2023-27483?

github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime (go) versions >= 0.17.0, < 0.19.2 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2023-27483?

Yes. CVE-2023-27483 is fixed in 0.19.2, 0.16.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2023-27483 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2023-27483 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-2023-27483 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-2023-27483?

Upgrade: github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime to 0.19.2 or later, github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime to 0.16.1 or later.

Summary

fieldpath's Paved.SetValue allows growing arrays up to arbitrary sizes in crossplane-runtime

Fuzz testing on crossplane/crossplane, by Ada Logics and sponsored by the CNCF, identified input to a function in the fieldpath package that can cause an out of memory panic. Applications that use the Paved type's SetValue method with user provided input without proper validation might use excessive amounts of memory and cause an out of memory panic.

Details

In the fieldpath package, the SetValue method of the Paved type sets a value on the inner object according to the provided path, without validating it first. This allows setting values in slices at any specific index and the code will grow the target array up to the required size. The index is currently capped at max uint32 (4294967295) given how indexes are parsed, but that is still an unnecessarily large value.

Workaround

Users can parse and validate the path before passing it to the SetValue method of the Paved type, constraining the index size as deemed appropriate.

Credits

Disclosed by Ada Logics in a fuzzing audit sponsored by CNCF.

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-2023-27483 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (0.19.2, 0.16.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime (>= 0.17.0, < 0.19.2) github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime (>= 0.6.0, < 0.16.1)

Security releases

github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime → 0.19.2 (go) github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime → 0.16.1 (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:

github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime to 0.19.2 or later; github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime to 0.16.1 or later

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-27483? CVE-2023-27483 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime (go), affecting versions >= 0.17.0, < 0.19.2. It is fixed in 0.19.2, 0.16.1. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
How severe is CVE-2023-27483? CVE-2023-27483 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (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 versions of github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime are affected by CVE-2023-27483? github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime (go) versions >= 0.17.0, < 0.19.2 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2023-27483? Yes. CVE-2023-27483 is fixed in 0.19.2, 0.16.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2023-27483 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-27483 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-2023-27483 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-2023-27483?
- Upgrade github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime to 0.19.2 or later
- Upgrade github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime to 0.16.1 or later