CVE-2023-22480 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.3) CWE-285 vulnerability in github.com/KubeOperator/KubeOperator. EPSS puts its 30-day exploitation probability at 66.8% (99th percentile). The records list no fixed version yet; check the vendor advisory below and apply the mitigations in the meantime.
KubeOperator is vulnerable to unauthorized access to system API
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-22480.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
github.com/KubeOperator/KubeOperatorReal-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
Summary
Unauthorized access refers to the ability to bypass the system's preset permission settings to access some API interfaces. The attack exploits a flaw in how online applications handle routing permissions.
Affected Version
<= v3.16.3
Patches
The vulnerability has been fixed in v3.16.3.
https://github.com/KubeOperator/KubeOperator/commit/7ef42bf1c16900d13e6376f8be5ecdbfdfb44aaf
Workarounds
It is recommended to upgrade the version to v3.16.4.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, please open an issue.
References
https://github.com/KubeOperator/KubeOperator/releases/tag/v3.16.4
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/KubeOperator/KubeOperator | all versions | No fix |
Affected Products
kubeoperatorfit2cloudDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/KubeOperator/KubeOperator, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
The records we use list no patched version of github.com/KubeOperator/KubeOperator for CVE-2023-22480. Check the maintainer's advisory, and where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range.
Mitigate without a patch
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.
How to detect CVE-2023-22480
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id cve-2023-22480 -u https://target- Template
- KubeOperator Foreground `kubeconfig` - File Download
- Severity
- critical
- Impact
- An attacker can download sensitive files from the KubeOperator Foreground kubeconfig file, potentially leading to unauthorized access or exposure of sensitive information.
- Remediation
- Upgrade to the latest version to mitigate this vulnerability.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (DhiyaneshDk), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-22480 in your dependencies?
Find it across Go, including transitive dependencies.