Summary
KubeEdge: keadm DecompressTarGz path traversal enables arbitrary file write on Windows during edge node join
Description
KubeEdge keadm contains a path traversal vulnerability in the DecompressTarGz archive extraction function.
Archive entry names were joined directly with the extraction destination without sufficient validation. A crafted tar.gz archive containing parent-directory components, Windows-style backslashes, absolute paths, or drive-prefixed paths could cause files to be written outside the intended extraction directory.
The issue is particularly relevant to Windows edge nodes during the keadm join or installation process when keadm extracts downloaded component archives.
Workarounds
Until a patched release is available:
- only install or join edge nodes using trusted KubeEdge package sources;
- verify the integrity and origin of downloaded archives before extraction;
- do not use custom or untrusted component archives with
keadm; - restrict write permissions and administrative privileges for the account running
keadm; - avoid performing Windows edge-node installation or join operations when the package source cannot be trusted.
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
An attacker who can cause an affected keadm process to extract a malicious archive may write or overwrite files outside the intended destination directory with the privileges of the user running keadm.
On Windows edge nodes, this may allow modification of configuration files, executable files, service-related files, or other writable system locations. Depending on the overwritten file and the privileges of the keadm process, successful exploitation could lead to persistent system modification or code execution.
Exploitation requires the attacker to influence the contents of an archive processed by keadm, such as through a compromised, replaced, or otherwise untrusted download source.
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
CVE-2026-62369 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 extraction logic now:
- resolves the destination directory to an absolute path;
- rejects empty archive entry names;
- normalizes Windows-style path separators before validation;
- rejects parent-directory traversal paths;
- rejects absolute and Windows drive-prefixed paths;
- uses
filepath-securejointo ensure extracted files remain within the destination directory.
Fixes are planned for the following maintained releases:
- v1.23.1
- v1.22.2
- v1.21.2
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-62369? CVE-2026-62369 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in github.com/kubeedge/kubeedge (go), affecting versions >= 1.16.0, < 1.21.2. It is fixed in 1.21.2, 1.22.2, 1.23.1. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is CVE-2026-62369? CVE-2026-62369 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (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-2026-62369? github.com/kubeedge/kubeedge (go) versions >= 1.16.0, < 1.21.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-62369? Yes. CVE-2026-62369 is fixed in 1.21.2, 1.22.2, 1.23.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-62369 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-62369 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-2026-62369 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-2026-62369?
- 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