CVE-2023-40029
CRITICALCVE-2023-40029 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) Information Exposure vulnerability in github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2023-40029 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Cluster secret might leak in cluster details page in Argo CD
Blast Radius
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2🐹github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2🐹github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2Real-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
Argo CD is a declarative continuous deployment for Kubernetes. Argo CD Cluster secrets might be managed declaratively using Argo CD / kubectl apply. As a result, the full secret body is stored inkubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration annotation. pull request #7139 introduced the ability to manage cluster labels and annotations. Since clusters are stored as secrets it also exposes the kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration annotation which includes full secret body. In order to view the cluster annotations via the Argo CD API, the user must have clusters, get RBAC access. Note: In many cases, cluster secrets do not contain any actually-secret information. But sometimes, as in bearer-token auth, the contents might be very sensitive. The bug has been patched in versions 2.8.3, 2.7.14, and 2.6.15. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should update/deploy cluster secret with server-side-apply flag which does not use or rely on kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration annotation. Note: annotation for existing secrets will require manual removal.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.6.15 | 2.6.15 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.7.0&&< 2.7.14 | 2.7.14 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.8.0&&< 2.8.3 | 2.8.3 |
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/argoproj/argo-cd/v2. 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 github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.6.15 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-40029 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-2023-40029 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-2023-40029. 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-2023-40029 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2023-40029 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.