CVE-2023-38495

Possible image tampering from missing image validation for Packages

Workarounds

Only using images from trusted sources and keeping Package editing/creating privileges to administrators only, which should be both considered already best practices.

References

See ADA-XP-23-11 in the Security Audit's report.

Credits

This was reported as ADA-XP-23-11 by @AdamKorcz and @DavidKorczynski from Ada Logic and facilitated by OSTIF as part of the Security Audit sponsored by CNCF.

Crossplanes image backend does not validate the byte contents of Crossplane packages. As such, Crossplane does not detect if an attacker has tampered with a Package.

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-2023-38495 has a CVSS score of 8.3 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (1.11.5, 1.12.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Already deployed Kodem?

The problem has been fixed in 1.11.5, 1.12.3 and 1.13.0, all the supported versions of Crossplane at the time of writing.

1. What is CVE-2023-38495? CVE-2023-38495 is a high-severity improper input validation vulnerability in github.com/crossplane/crossplane (go), affecting versions < 1.11.5. It is fixed in 1.11.5, 1.12.3. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-38495? CVE-2023-38495 has a CVSS score of 8.3 (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.
3. Which versions of github.com/crossplane/crossplane are affected by CVE-2023-38495? github.com/crossplane/crossplane (go) versions < 1.11.5 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-38495? Yes. CVE-2023-38495 is fixed in 1.11.5, 1.12.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-38495 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-38495 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2023-38495 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2023-38495?
   • Upgrade github.com/crossplane/crossplane to 1.11.5 or later
   • Upgrade github.com/crossplane/crossplane to 1.12.3 or later

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/crossplane/crossplane