Summary
KubeEdge: ConfigUpdateJob updateFields enables remote shell injection and code execution on edge nodes
Description
KubeEdge ConfigUpdateJob processing was vulnerable to command injection on edge nodes.
The updateFields values from a ConfigUpdateJob were concatenated into a command string and executed through a system shell. An authenticated user with sufficient permissions to create or update ConfigUpdateJob resources could include shell metacharacters in the supplied configuration fields and cause unintended commands to be executed on targeted edge nodes.
Workarounds
Until a patched release is available:
- restrict RBAC permissions for creating or modifying ConfigUpdateJob resources;
- allow only trusted administrators to submit configuration update jobs;
- avoid using ConfigUpdateJob in environments where its input cannot be fully trusted;
- monitor ConfigUpdateJob resources and edge-node process activity for unexpected commands or changes.
Credits
KubeEdge thanks Sang-Hoon Choi (KoreaSecurity, Sejong University)
for responsibly reporting this issue and for coordinating with the KubeEdge
maintainers through the security disclosure process.
Impact
Successful exploitation could allow an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands on affected edge nodes with the privileges of the KubeEdge process handling the ConfigUpdateJob.
The attacker must already have permission to create or modify ConfigUpdateJob resources and target an enrolled edge node.
Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host. Typical impact: code execution in the application's environment.
CVE-2026-62182 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). 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 (1.21.2, 1.22.2, 1.23.1); 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.
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The fix removes shell-based command construction and invokes keadm config-update using structured command arguments.
The complete --set value is passed as a single literal argument, preventing shell metacharacters from being interpreted as commands.
Fixes are planned for the following maintained releases:
- v1.23.1
- v1.22.2
- v1.21.2
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-62182? CVE-2026-62182 is a high-severity OS command injection vulnerability in github.com/kubeedge/kubeedge (go), affecting versions >= 1.21.0, < 1.21.2. It is fixed in 1.21.2, 1.22.2, 1.23.1. Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host.
- How severe is CVE-2026-62182? CVE-2026-62182 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (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.
- Which versions of github.com/kubeedge/kubeedge are affected by CVE-2026-62182? github.com/kubeedge/kubeedge (go) versions >= 1.21.0, < 1.21.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-62182? Yes. CVE-2026-62182 is fixed in 1.21.2, 1.22.2, 1.23.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-62182 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-62182 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-2026-62182 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-2026-62182?
- Upgrade
github.com/kubeedge/kubeedgeto 1.21.2 or later - Upgrade
github.com/kubeedge/kubeedgeto 1.22.2 or later - Upgrade
github.com/kubeedge/kubeedgeto 1.23.1 or later
- Upgrade