CVE-2023-22649 — rancher
CVE-2023-22649 is a CWE-532 vulnerability in github.com/rancher/rancher. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for github.com/rancher/rancher — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Rancher 'Audit Log' leaks sensitive information
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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-2023-22649.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/rancher/rancher🐹github.com/rancher/rancher🐹github.com/rancher/rancherReal-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
Impact
A vulnerability has been identified which may lead to sensitive data being leaked into Rancher's audit logs. Rancher Audit Logging is an opt-in feature, only deployments that have it enabled and have AUDIT_LEVEL set to 1 or above are impacted by this issue.
The leaks might be caught in the audit logs upon these actions:
- Creating cloud credentials or new authentication providers. It is crucial to note that all authentication providers (such as AzureAD) and cloud providers (such as Google) are impacted.
- Downloading a kubeconfig file from a downstream or a local cluster.
- Logging in/out from Rancher.
The affected data may include the following:
- HTTP headers
| Field | Location |
|---|---|
| X-Api-Auth-Header | Request header |
| X-Api-Set-Cookie-Header | Response header |
| X-Amz-Security-Token | Request header |
| credentials | Request body |
| applicationSecret | Request Body |
| oauthCredential | Request Body |
| serviceAccountCredential | Request Body |
| spKey | Request Body |
| spCert | Request body |
| spCert | Response body |
| certificate | Request body |
| privateKey | Request body |
- API Server calls returning
Secretobjects (including sub-types, such askubernetes.io/dockerconfigjson). - Raw command lines used by agents to connect to the Rancher server which expose sensitive information (e.g.
register ... --token abc). Kubeconfigcontents when the 'Download KubeConfig' feature is used in the Rancher UI.
The patched versions will redact the sensitive data, replacing it with [redacted], making it safer for consumption. It is recommended that static secrets are rotated after the system is patched, to limit the potential impact of sensitive data being misused due to this vulnerability.
Note:
- The severity of the vulnerability is intricately tied to the logging strategy employed. If logs are kept locally (default configuration), the impact is contained within the system, limiting the exposure. However, when logs are shipped to an external endpoint, the vulnerability's severity might increase, as resistance against leaks is contingent on the security measures implemented at the external log collector level.
- The final impact severity for confidentiality, integrity and availability is dependent on the permissions that the leaked credentials have on their own services.
Patches
Patched versions include releases 2.6.14, 2.7.10 and 2.8.2.
Workarounds
If AUDIT_LEVEL 1 or above is required and you cannot update to a patched Rancher version, ensure that the log is handled appropriately and it is not shared with other users or shipped into a log ingestion solution without the appropriate RBAC enforcement. Otherwise, disabling the Audit feature or decreasing it to the audit level 0, mitigates the issue.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Reach out to the SUSE Rancher Security team for security related inquiries.
- Open an issue in the Rancher repository.
- Verify with our support matrix and product support lifecycle.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/rancher/rancher | ≥ 2.6.0&&< 2.6.14 | 2.6.14go get github.com/rancher/rancher@v2.6.14 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/rancher/rancher | ≥ 2.7.0&&< 2.7.10 | 2.7.10go get github.com/rancher/rancher@v2.7.10 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/rancher/rancher | ≥ 2.8.0&&< 2.8.2 | 2.8.2go get github.com/rancher/rancher@v2.8.2 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/rancher/rancher, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.6.14 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-22649 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2023-22649 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2023-22649. 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-2023-22649 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2023-22649 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.