CVE-2024-48921 — kyverno
CVE-2024-48921 is a CWE-285 vulnerability in github.com/kyverno/kyverno. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for github.com/kyverno/kyverno — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Kyverno's PolicyException objects can be created in any namespace by default
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.
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2024-48921.
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/kyverno/kyvernoReal-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
A kyverno ClusterPolicy, ie. "disallow-privileged-containers," can be overridden by the creation of a PolicyException in a random namespace.
Details
By design, PolicyExceptions are consumed from any namespace. Administrators may not recognize that this allows users with privileges to non-kyverno namespaces to create exceptions.
PoC
- Administrator creates "disallow-privileged-containers" ClusterPolicy that applies to resources in the namespace "ubuntu-restricted"
- Cluster user creates a PolicyException object for "disallow-privileged-containers" in namespace "ubuntu-restricted"
- Cluster user creates a pod with a privileged container in "ubuntu-restricted"
- Cluster user escalates to root on the node from the privileged container
Impact
Administrators attempting to enforce cluster security through kyverno policies, but that allow less privileged users to create resources
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/kyverno/kyverno | all versions | 1.13.0go get github.com/kyverno/kyverno@v1.13.0 |
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/kyverno/kyverno, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/kyverno/kyverno to 1.13.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-48921 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-2024-48921 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2024-48921. 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-2024-48921 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2024-48921 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.