Summary
etcd: Watch API authorization bypass via open-ended range requests
Workarounds
Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?
If upgrading is not immediately possible, the following mitigations reduce exposure:
- Audit READ grants. Any READ grant, even on one key, can be leveraged via Watch to read everything after it. Review who holds READ permissions and revoke/tighten any you wouldn't trust with full read access.
- Restrict network access. Limit which hosts can reach etcd's client (gRPC) port via firewall rules or network policy, reducing who can attempt exploitation.
Reporter
- Luis Toro (@lobuhi on Github)
- Anthropic and Adam Korczynski (@AdamKorcz on Github)
Impact
What kind of vulnerability is it? Who is impacted?
A user granted READ permission on a single, exact key can use the Watch gRPC API with clientv3.WithFromKey() (an open-ended, "from this key to the end of the keyspace" watch) to receive watch events for every key lexicographically greater than or equal to their permitted key, not just the one key they were granted.
This is an authorization bypass in etcd's RBAC enforcement for the Watch API; Range/Get and DeleteRange requests are not affected. It only affects clusters with authentication enabled, clusters running without auth already allow unrestricted read access.
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 3.7.1
- etcd 3.6.14
- etcd 3.5.33
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-XG4H-6GFC-H4M8? GHSA-XG4H-6GFC-H4M8 is a high-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 (go), affecting versions >= 3.7.0-alpha.0, < 3.7.1. It is fixed in 3.7.1, 3.6.14, 3.5.33. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- Which versions of go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 are affected by GHSA-XG4H-6GFC-H4M8? go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 (go) versions >= 3.7.0-alpha.0, < 3.7.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-XG4H-6GFC-H4M8? Yes. GHSA-XG4H-6GFC-H4M8 is fixed in 3.7.1, 3.6.14, 3.5.33. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-XG4H-6GFC-H4M8 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-XG4H-6GFC-H4M8 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-XG4H-6GFC-H4M8 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-XG4H-6GFC-H4M8?
- Upgrade
go.etcd.io/etcd/v3to 3.7.1 or later - Upgrade
go.etcd.io/etcd/v3to 3.6.14 or later - Upgrade
go.etcd.io/etcd/v3to 3.5.33 or later
- Upgrade