GHSA-77v3-r3jw-j2v2 — external-secrets
Fix: external-secrets/external-secrets#3895GHSA-77v3-r3jw-j2v2 is a CWE-863 vulnerability in github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets. A fix is available for github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets — see the affected versions and patch details below.
External Secrets Operator insecurely retrieves secrets through the getSecretKey templating function
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-77v3-r3jw-j2v2.
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/external-secrets/external-secretsReal-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
The getSecretKey template function, while introduced for senhasegura Devops Secrets Management (DSM) provider, has the ability to fetch secrets cross-namespaces with the roleBinding of the external-secrets controller, bypassing our security mechanisms.
This function was completely removed, as everything done with that templating function can be done in a different way while respecting our safeguards (for example, using sourceRef like explained here: https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/issues/5690#issuecomment-3630977865)
Impact
- Cross-namespace secret access: Attackers or misconfigured resources could retrieve secrets from namespaces other than the one intended.
- privilege escalation: Unauthorized access to secrets could lead to privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or compromise of service accounts and credentials.
Resolution
We removed the incriminated templating function from our codebase. All users should upgrade to the latest version containing this fix.
Workarounds
Use a policy engine such as Kubernetes, Kyverno, Kubewarden, or OPA to prevent the usage of getSecretKey in any ExternalSecret resource.
Details
See also:
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets | ≥ 0.20.2&&< 1.2.0 | 1.2.0go get github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets@v1.2.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets to 1.2.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-77v3-r3jw-j2v2 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-77v3-r3jw-j2v2 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-77v3-r3jw-j2v2. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-77v3-r3jw-j2v2 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-77v3-r3jw-j2v2 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.