GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M

Workarounds

Manually add the environment label (ironic-standalone-operator.metal3.io/environment) to all user-provided Secrets and ConfigMaps before they are referenced in the Ironic resource. This prevents the controller from modifying them.

Resources

• https://github.com/metal3-io/ironic-standalone-operator/pull/619
• https://github.com/metal3-io/ironic-standalone-operator/pull/664
• https://github.com/metal3-io/ironic-standalone-operator/pull/665

The Ironic Standalone Operator (IRSO) is the operator to maintain an Ironic deployment for Metal3. IRSO controller automatically adds its environment label to user-provided Secrets and ConfigMaps without the resource owner's consent. A high-privilege controller modifying user-owned resources constitutes an unauthorized integrity violation. Deployments running IrSO v0.7.0 through v0.8.1 that reference user-provided Secrets or ConfigMaps (TLS certificates, BMC CA, trusted CA) are affected.

The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation. Typical impact: unauthorized access to restricted functionality or data.

GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M has a CVSS score of 4.3 (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 (0.7.3, 0.8.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Fixed in v0.9.0, v0.8.2, v0.7.3.

1. What is GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M? GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in github.com/metal3-io/ironic-standalone-operator (go), affecting versions <= 0.7.2. It is fixed in 0.7.3, 0.8.2. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.
2. How severe is GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M? GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M has a CVSS score of 4.3 (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.
3. Which versions of github.com/metal3-io/ironic-standalone-operator are affected by GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M? github.com/metal3-io/ironic-standalone-operator (go) versions <= 0.7.2 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M? Yes. GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M is fixed in 0.7.3, 0.8.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M 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
6. What actually determines whether GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M 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.
7. How do I fix GHSA-HFC8-W5F4-3X6M?
   • Upgrade github.com/metal3-io/ironic-standalone-operator to 0.7.3 or later
   • Upgrade github.com/metal3-io/ironic-standalone-operator to 0.8.2 or later