CVE-2024-9042

CVE-2024-9042 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in k8s.io/kubernetes (go), affecting versions < 1.29.13. It is fixed in 1.29.13, 1.30.9, 1.31.5, 1.32.1.

Summary

A security vulnerability has been discovered in Kubernetes windows nodes that could allow a user with the ability to query a node's '/logs' endpoint to execute arbitrary commands on the host. This CVE affects only Windows worker nodes. Your worker node is vulnerable to this issue if it is running one of the affected versions listed below.

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-2024-9042 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, high 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 (1.29.13, 1.30.9, 1.31.5, 1.32.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

k8s.io/kubernetes (< 1.29.13) k8s.io/kubernetes (>= 1.30.0-alpha.0, < 1.30.9) k8s.io/kubernetes (>= 1.31.0-alpha.0, < 1.31.5) k8s.io/kubernetes (>= 1.32.0-alpha.0, < 1.32.1)

Security releases

k8s.io/kubernetes → 1.29.13 (go) k8s.io/kubernetes → 1.30.9 (go) k8s.io/kubernetes → 1.31.5 (go) k8s.io/kubernetes → 1.32.1 (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.

See it in your environment

Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.29.13 or later; k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.30.9 or later; k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.31.5 or later; k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.32.1 or later

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

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is CVE-2024-9042? CVE-2024-9042 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in k8s.io/kubernetes (go), affecting versions < 1.29.13. It is fixed in 1.29.13, 1.30.9, 1.31.5, 1.32.1. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
  2. How severe is CVE-2024-9042? CVE-2024-9042 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.
  3. Which versions of k8s.io/kubernetes are affected by CVE-2024-9042? k8s.io/kubernetes (go) versions < 1.29.13 is affected.
  4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-9042? Yes. CVE-2024-9042 is fixed in 1.29.13, 1.30.9, 1.31.5, 1.32.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
  5. Is CVE-2024-9042 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-9042 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-2024-9042 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-2024-9042?
    • Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.29.13 or later
    • Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.30.9 or later
    • Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.31.5 or later
    • Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.32.1 or later

Other vulnerabilities in k8s.io/kubernetes

CVE-2025-5187CVE-2025-4563CVE-2025-1767CVE-2024-9042CVE-2025-0426

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