CVE-2019-11243
HIGHCVE-2019-11243 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) vulnerability in k8s.io/kubernetes. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2019-11243 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Kubernetes did not effectively clear service account credentials
Blast Radius
k8s.io/kubernetes🐹k8s.io/kubernetesReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
In Kubernetes v1.12.0-v1.12.4 and v1.13.0, the rest.AnonymousClientConfig() method returns a copy of the provided config, with credentials removed (bearer token, username/password, and client certificate/key data). In the affected versions, rest.AnonymousClientConfig() did not effectively clear service account credentials loaded using rest.InClusterConfig()
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | k8s.io/kubernetes | ≥ 1.12.0&&< 1.12.5 | 1.12.5 |
| 🐹Go | k8s.io/kubernetes | ≥ 1.13.0&&< 1.13.1 | 1.13.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for k8s.io/kubernetes. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.12.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2019-11243 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2019-11243 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2019-11243. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2019-11243 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2019-11243 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.