Summary
secrets-store-csi-driver discloses service account tokens in logs
A security issue was discovered in secrets-store-csi-driver where an actor with access to the driver logs could observe service account tokens. These tokens could then potentially be exchanged with external cloud providers to access secrets stored in cloud vault solutions. Tokens are only logged when TokenRequests is configured in the CSIDriver object and the driver is set to run at log level 2 or greater via the -v flag.
This issue has been rated MEDIUM CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N (6.5), and assigned CVE-2023-2878
Am I vulnerable?
You may be vulnerable if TokenRequests is configured in the CSIDriver object and the driver is set to run at log level 2 or greater via the -v flag.
To check if token requests are configured, run the following command:
kubectl get csidriver secrets-store.csi.k8s.io -o jsonpath="{.spec.tokenRequests}"
To check if tokens are being logged, examine the secrets-store container log:
kubectl logs -l app=secrets-store-csi-driver -c secrets-store -f | grep --line-buffered "csi.storage.k8s.io/serviceAccount.tokens"
Affected Versions
- secrets-store-csi-driver < 1.3.3
How do I mitigate this vulnerability?
Prior to upgrading, this vulnerability can be mitigated by running secrets-store-csi-driver at log level 0 or 1 via the -v flag.
Fixed Versions
- secrets-store-csi-driver >= 1.3.3
To upgrade, refer to the documentation: https://secrets-store-csi-driver.sigs.k8s.io/getting-started/upgrades.html#upgrades
Detection
Examine cloud provider logs for unexpected token exchanges, as well as unexpected access to cloud vault secrets.
If you find evidence that this vulnerability has been exploited, please contact [email protected]
Impact
CVE-2023-2878 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, 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 (1.3.3); 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-2878? CVE-2023-2878 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in sigs.k8s.io/secrets-store-csi-driver (go), affecting versions < 1.3.3. It is fixed in 1.3.3.
- How severe is CVE-2023-2878? CVE-2023-2878 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (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 sigs.k8s.io/secrets-store-csi-driver are affected by CVE-2023-2878? sigs.k8s.io/secrets-store-csi-driver (go) versions < 1.3.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-2878? Yes. CVE-2023-2878 is fixed in 1.3.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-2878 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-2878 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-2023-2878 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-2023-2878? Upgrade
sigs.k8s.io/secrets-store-csi-driverto 1.3.3 or later.