Summary
Etcd Gateway TLS endpoint validation only confirms TCP reachability
Vulnerability type
Cryptography
Workarounds
Refer to the gateway documentation. The vulnerability was spotted due to unclear documentation of how the gateway handles endpoints validation.
Detail
Secure endpoint validation is performed by the etcd gateway start command when the --discovery-srv flag is enabled. However, as currently implemented, it only validates TCP reachability, effectively allowing connections to an endpoint that doesn't accept TLS connections through the HTTPS URL. The auditors has noted that appropriate documentation of this validation functionality plus deprecation of this misleading functionality is an acceptable path forward.
References
Find out more on this vulnerability in the security audit report
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Contact the etcd security committee
Impact
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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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 to 3.4.10 or later; go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 to 3.3.23 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-J86V-2VJR-FG8F? GHSA-J86V-2VJR-FG8F is a medium-severity security vulnerability in go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 (go), affecting versions >= 3.4.0-rc.0, <= 3.4.9. It is fixed in 3.4.10, 3.3.23.
- Which versions of go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 are affected by GHSA-J86V-2VJR-FG8F? go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 (go) versions >= 3.4.0-rc.0, <= 3.4.9 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-J86V-2VJR-FG8F? Yes. GHSA-J86V-2VJR-FG8F is fixed in 3.4.10, 3.3.23. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-J86V-2VJR-FG8F exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-J86V-2VJR-FG8F 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 GHSA-J86V-2VJR-FG8F 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 GHSA-J86V-2VJR-FG8F?
- Upgrade
go.etcd.io/etcd/v3to 3.4.10 or later - Upgrade
go.etcd.io/etcd/v3to 3.3.23 or later
- Upgrade