Summary
Workarounds
There is no workaround other than upgrading.
References
Fixed with commit https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/commit/6f5537bdf15ddbaa0f27a1a678632ff0743e4107 & https://github.com/argoproj/gitops-engine/commit/7e21b91e9d0f64104c8a661f3f390c5e6d73ddca
Impact
A vulnerability was discovered in Argo CD that exposed secret values in error messages and the diff view when an invalid Kubernetes Secret resource was synced from a repository.
The vulnerability assumes the user has write access to the repository and can exploit it, either intentionally or unintentionally, by committing an invalid Secret to repository and triggering a Sync. Once exploited, any user with read access to Argo CD can view the exposed secret data.
CVE-2025-23216 has a CVSS score of 6.8 (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 (2.13.4, 2.12.10, 2.11.13); 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.
Remediation advice
A patch for this vulnerability is available in the following Argo CD versions:
- v2.13.4
- v2.12.10
- v2.11.13
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-23216? CVE-2025-23216 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 (go), affecting versions >= 2.13.0, < 2.13.4. It is fixed in 2.13.4, 2.12.10, 2.11.13.
- How severe is CVE-2025-23216? CVE-2025-23216 has a CVSS score of 6.8 (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-2025-23216?
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2(go) (versions >= 2.13.0, < 2.13.4)github.com/argoproj/argo-cd(go) (versions <= 1.8.7)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-23216? Yes. CVE-2025-23216 is fixed in 2.13.4, 2.12.10, 2.11.13. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2025-23216 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-23216 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-2025-23216 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-2025-23216?
- Upgrade
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2to 2.13.4 or later - Upgrade
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2to 2.12.10 or later - Upgrade
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2to 2.11.13 or later
- Upgrade