Summary
Workarounds
There is no workaround for this issue. Users are recommended to upgrade, as soon as possible, to a version of NeuVector that contains the fix.
References
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Reach out to the SUSE Rancher Security team for security related inquiries.
- Open an issue in the NeuVector repository.
- Verify with our support matrix and product support lifecycle.
Impact
NeuVector used a hard-coded cryptographic key embedded in the source code. At compilation time, the key value was replaced with the secret key value and used to encrypt sensitive configurations when NeuVector stores the data.
In the patched version, NeuVector leverages the Kubernetes secret neuvector-store-secret in neuvector namespace to dynamically generate cryptographically secure random keys. This approach removes the reliance on static key values and ensures that encryption keys are managed securely within Kubernetes.
During rolling upgrade or restoring from persistent storage, the NeuVector controller checks each encrypted configured field. If a sensitive field in the configuration is found to be encrypted by the default encryption key, it’s decrypted with the default encryption key and then re-encrypted with the new dynamic encryption key.
If the NeuVector controller does not have the correct RBAC for accessing the new secret, it writes this error log :Required Kubernetes RBAC for secrets are not found and exits.
The device encryption key is rotated every 3 months. For details, please refer to this Rotating Self-Signed Certificate documentation.
CVE-2025-54471 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, 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 (5.4.7, 0.0.0-20251020133207-084a437033b4); 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
Patched versions include release v5.4.7 and above.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-54471? CVE-2025-54471 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in github.com/neuvector/neuvector (go), affecting versions >= 5.3.0, <= 5.4.6. It is fixed in 5.4.7, 0.0.0-20251020133207-084a437033b4.
- How severe is CVE-2025-54471? CVE-2025-54471 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 github.com/neuvector/neuvector are affected by CVE-2025-54471? github.com/neuvector/neuvector (go) versions >= 5.3.0, <= 5.4.6 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-54471? Yes. CVE-2025-54471 is fixed in 5.4.7, 0.0.0-20251020133207-084a437033b4. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2025-54471 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-54471 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-2025-54471 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-2025-54471?
- Upgrade
github.com/neuvector/neuvectorto 5.4.7 or later - Upgrade
github.com/neuvector/neuvectorto 0.0.0-20251020133207-084a437033b4 or later
- Upgrade