GHSA-2m7h-86qq-fp4v is a high-severity (CVSS 8.3) Insufficient Random Values vulnerability in github.com/argoproj/argo-cd. A fix is available for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Insecure entropy in Argo CD's PKCE/Oauth2/OIDC params
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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 GHSA-2m7h-86qq-fp4v.
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
GHSA-2m7h-86qq-fp4v 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 378,567 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🐹github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2🐹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
Impact
All versions of Argo CD starting with v0.11.0 are vulnerable to a variety of attacks when an SSO login is initiated from the Argo CD CLI or UI. The vulnerabilities are due to the use of insufficiently random values in parameters in Oauth2/OIDC login flows. In each case, using a relatively-predictable (time-based) seed in a non-cryptographically-secure pseudo-random number generator made the parameter less random than required by the relevant spec or by general best practices. In some cases, using too short a value made the entropy even less sufficient. (The specific weak parameters are listed in the References section.)
The attacks on login flows which are meant to be mitigated by these parameters are difficult to accomplish but can have a high impact (potentially granting an attacker admin access to Argo CD). The CVSS for this Security Advisory assumes the worst-case scenario.
Patches
A patch for this vulnerability has been released in the following Argo CD versions:
- v2.4.1
- v2.3.5
- v2.2.10
- v2.1.16
Workarounds
There are no workarounds. You must upgrade to a patched version to resolve the vulnerability.
References
These are the insufficiently-random parameters:
- (since 0.11.0) The
stateparameter generated by theargocd logincommand for Oauth2 login used a non-cryptographically secure source of entropy and generated a parameter that was too short to provide the entropy required in the spec. This parameter is a "recommended" part of the Oauth2 flow and helps protect against cross-site request forgery attacks. - (since 1.7.2, when PKCE was added) The
code_verifierparameter generated by theargocd logincommand for Oauth2+PKCE login used a non-cryptographically secure source of entropy. The attacks mitigated by PKCE are complex but have been observed in the wild. - (since 0.11.0) The
stateparameter generated by the Argo CD API server during a UI-initiated Oauth2 login used a non-cryptographically secure source of entropy and generated a parameter that was too short to provide the entropy required in the spec. This parameter is a "recommended" part of the Oauth2 flow and helps protect against cross-site request forgery attacks. - (since 0.11.0) The
nonceparameter generated by the Argo CD API server during a UI-initiated Oauth2 implicit flow login used a non-cryptographically secure source of entropy and generated a parameter that was too short to provide sufficient entropy. This parameter is a required part of the OIDC implicit login flow and helps protect against replay attacks.
Credits
Originally discovered by @jgwest. @jannfis and @crenshaw-dev re-discovered the vulnerability when reviewing notes from ADA Logics' security audit of the Argo project sponsored by CNCF and facilitated by OSTIF. Thanks to Adam Korczynski and David Korczynski for their work on the audit.
For more information
- Open an issue in the Argo CD issue tracker or discussions
- Join us on Slack in channel #argo-cd
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd | ≥ 0.11.0&&< 2.1.16 | 2.1.16go get github.com/argoproj/argo-cd@v2.1.16 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | all versions | 2.1.16go get github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2@v2.1.16 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.10 | 2.2.10go get github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2@v2.2.10 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.3.0&&< 2.3.5 | 2.3.5go get github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2@v2.3.5 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.4.0&&< 2.4.1 | 2.4.1go get github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2@v2.4.1 |
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, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/argoproj/argo-cd to 2.1.16 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-2m7h-86qq-fp4v 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 GHSA-2m7h-86qq-fp4v can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-2m7h-86qq-fp4v. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.3 | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-rhel8:v1.3.12-1 | RHSA-2022:5187 |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.3 | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-rhel8:v1.3.11-4 | RHSA-2022:5192 |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.4 | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-rhel8:v1.4.9-3 | RHSA-2022:5153 |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.5 | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-rhel8:v1.5.3-2 | RHSA-2022:5152 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-2m7h-86qq-fp4v in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-2m7h-86qq-fp4v across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.