How severe is GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4?

No CVSS score has been assigned to GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4?

GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 affects the following packages: github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v3 (Go), github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v2 (Go), github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller (Go). Ecosystems affected: Go.

How do I fix GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4?

Update github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v3 to 3.5.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 in my Go dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v3. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.

How do I mitigate GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

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 does O3 Security protect against GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4?

O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Is GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

When was GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 published, and has it been updated?

GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 was published on May 19, 2026 and was last updated on June 8, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🐹 Go

GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4

Kong Ingress Controller for Kubernetes (KIC): Secret-backed plugin configurations leak through non-sensitive diagnostics endpoint

Also known asGO-2026-5010

Published

May 19, 2026

Updated

Jun 8, 2026

Affected

3 pkgs

Patched

1 / 3

Exploits

None indexed

Blast Radius

3 pkgs affected

🐹github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v3🐹github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v2🐹github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller

Real-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 vulnerability in the Kong Ingress Controller (KIC) allows for the unauthorized exposure of sensitive plugin credentials through the diagnostics interface. Even when configured to redact sensitive information (using --dump-sensitive-config=false), KIC fails to sanitize the Plugins field in diagnostic configuration dumps. This causes secrets referenced via configFrom.secretKeyRef to be resolved and displayed in plaintext.

Because the diagnostics HTTP endpoints require no authentication, any process within the cluster network capable of reaching the KIC pod can exfiltrate sensitive data, including API keys, bearer tokens, and database passwords.

Am I affected?

You are affected if all of the following hold:

You are using Kong Ingress Controller with diagnostics enabled (--dump-config=true).
You have not explicitly enabled sensitive dumping (--dump-sensitive-config=false), creating an expectation of redaction.
You use KongPlugin or KongClusterPlugin resources that reference Kubernetes Secrets via configFrom.secretKeyRef.
The KIC diagnostics port (default 10256) is reachable by other workloads or users within your cluster.

You are not affected if:

The --dump-config flag is set to false (default behavior).
You do not use secret-backed configurations in your Kong plugins.
Access to the KIC pod's diagnostic port is strictly blocked by NetworkPolicies.

Mitigation

Disable Diagnostics: If not actively debugging, disable the diagnostic server by setting --dump-config=false.
Network Isolation: Implement a NetworkPolicy to restrict access to the KIC diagnostics port (default 10256), ensuring only authorized administrative pods or IPs can reach it.
Restrict Port-Forwarding: Limit kubectl port-forward RBAC permissions to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the pod's local ports.

Fix

The fix introduces proper sanitization for the Plugins field within the configuration state. When sensitive dumping is disabled, the controller now replaces all plugin configuration values with a redaction placeholder before they are served via the diagnostics endpoints. Additionally, it is recommended to ensure your deployment environment follows the principle of least privilege regarding network access to controller components.

Users should upgrade to the latest patched version of Kong Ingress Controller to ensure diagnostic dumps are correctly redacted.

Affected Packages

3 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
🐹Go	`github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v3`	all versions	3.5.7
🐹Go	`github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v2`	all versions	No fix
🐹Go	`github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller`	all versions	No fix

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v3. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update github.com/kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/v3 to 3.5.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Tailored to GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

## Summary A vulnerability in the Kong Ingress Controller (KIC) allows for the unauthorized exposure of sensitive plugin credentials through the diagnostics interface. Even when configured to redact sensitive information (using `--dump-sensitive-config=false`), KIC fails to sanitize the `Plugins` field in diagnostic configuration dumps. This causes secrets referenced via `configFrom.secretKeyRef` to be resolved and displayed in plaintext. Because the diagnostics HTTP endpoints require no authentication, any process within the cluster network capable of reaching the KIC pod can exfiltrate sen

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 in your dependencies?

O3 detects GHSA-3278-c88v-xrh4 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

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