CVE-2024-41666 is a medium-severity (CVSS 4.7) Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2. 2 public exploit references exist, 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
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.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2024-41666 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,156 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
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 |
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, 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
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-2024-41666 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2024-41666. 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-2024-41666 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2024-41666 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.