CVE-2024-41666 is a medium-severity (CVSS 4.7) Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2. 2 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 — see the affected versions and patch details below.
The Argo CD web terminal session does not handle the revocation of user permissions properly.
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2024-41666.
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/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 v2.11.3 and before, discovering that even if the user's p, role:myrole, exec, create, */*, allow permissions are revoked, the user can still send any Websocket message, which allows the user to view sensitive information. Even though they shouldn't have such access.
Description
Argo CD has a Web-based terminal that allows you to get a shell inside a running pod, just like you would with kubectl exec. However, when the administrator enables this function and grants permission to the user p, role:myrole, exec, create, */*, allow, even if the user revokes this permission, the user can still perform operations in the container, as long as the user keeps the terminal view open for a long time. CVE-2023-40025 Although the token expiration and revocation of the user are fixed, however, the fix does not address the situation of revocation of only user p, role:myrole, exec, create, */*, allow permissions, which may still lead to the leakage of sensitive information.
Patches
A patch for this vulnerability has been released in the following Argo CD versions:
v2.11.7 v2.10.16 v2.9.21
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
Open an issue in the Argo CD issue tracker or discussions Join us on Slack in channel #argo-cd
Credits
This vulnerability was found & reported by Shengjie Li, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Zhi Li, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Weijie Liu, Nankai University
The Argo team would like to thank these contributors for their responsible disclosure and constructive communications during the resolve of this issue
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.6.0&&< 2.9.21 | 2.9.21go get github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2@v2.9.21 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.10.0&&< 2.10.16 | 2.10.16go get github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2@v2.10.16 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.11.0&&< 2.11.7 | 2.11.7go get github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2@v2.11.7 |
Affected Products
argo cdargoprojResearch 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, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.9.21 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-41666 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Close the privilege gap rather than the entry point: audit which accounts, roles and service identities can reach the affected operation, drop the component to the least privilege it actually needs, and review file and directory permissions created by earlier installs — a default left in place is what makes this reachable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-41666 in your dependencies?
Find it across Go, including transitive dependencies.