CVE-2025-46599 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.8) CWE-1188 vulnerability in github.com/k3s-io/k3s. A fix is available for github.com/k3s-io/k3s — see the affected versions and patch details below.
CNCF K3s Kubernetes kubelet configuration exposes credentials
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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-2025-46599.
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/k3s-io/k3sReal-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
CNCF K3s 1.32 before 1.32.4-rc1+k3s1 has a Kubernetes kubelet configuration change with the unintended consequence that, in some situations, ReadOnlyPort is set to 10255. For example, the default behavior of a K3s online installation might allow unauthenticated access to this port, exposing credentials.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/k3s-io/k3s | ≥ 1.32.0-rc1&&< 1.32.4-rc1 | 1.32.4-rc1go get github.com/k3s-io/k3s@v1.32.4-rc1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/k3s-io/k3s, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/k3s-io/k3s to 1.32.4-rc1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-46599 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2025-46599 in your dependencies?
Find it across Go, including transitive dependencies.