Summary
etcd RBAC bypass allows unauthorized data access via PrevKv/lease attachment in nested transaction Put requests
Workarounds
Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?
If upgrading is not immediately possible, reduce exposure by treating the affected
RPCs as unauthenticated in practice.
- restrict network access to etcd server ports so only trusted components can connect
- require strong client identity at the transport layer, such as mTLS with tightly scoped client certificate
distribution
Reporters
Samy Ghannad (@SamyGhannad on Github) reported that read access via PrevKv in a Put request within etcd transactions bypassed RBAC authorization checks. Benjamin Wang (@ahrtr ) further analyzed that lease attachment in a Put request within etcd transactions also bypassed RBAC authorization checks
Impact
What kind of vulnerability is it? Who is impacted?
A vulnerability in etcd allows read access via PrevKv, or lease attachment in Put requests within transaction operations, to bypass RBAC authorization checks. An authenticated user without sufficient read or lease-related permissions may be able to access unauthorized data or attach leases by invoking transaction operations with these features enabled.
Kubernetes does not rely on etcd’s built-in authentication and authorization. Instead, the API server handles authentication and authorization itself, so typical Kubernetes deployments are not affected.
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
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.
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Has the problem been patched? What versions should users upgrade to?
This vulnerability is patched in the following versions:
- etcd 3.6.11
- etcd 3.5.30
- etcd 3.4.44
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-44283? CVE-2026-44283 is a low-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 (go), affecting versions >= 3.6.0, <= 3.6.10. It is fixed in 3.6.11, 3.5.30, 3.4.44. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-44283?
go.etcd.io/etcd/v3(go) (versions >= 3.6.0, <= 3.6.10)go.etcd.io/etcd(go) (versions <= 3.4.43)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44283? Yes. CVE-2026-44283 is fixed in 3.6.11, 3.5.30, 3.4.44. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-44283 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44283 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-2026-44283 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-2026-44283?
- Upgrade
go.etcd.io/etcd/v3to 3.6.11 or later - Upgrade
go.etcd.io/etcd/v3to 3.5.30 or later - Upgrade
go.etcd.io/etcdto 3.4.44 or later
- Upgrade