GHSA-h4w9-6x78-8vrj
CRITICALArgo CD's external URLs for Deployments can include JavaScript
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.
Blast Radius
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 unpatched versions of Argo CD starting with v1.0.0 are vulnerable to a cross-site scripting (XSS) bug allowing a malicious user to inject a javascript: link in the UI. When clicked by a victim user, the script will execute with the victim's permissions (up to and including admin).
The script would be capable of doing anything which is possible in the UI or via the API, such as creating, modifying, and deleting Kubernetes resources.
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 completely-safe workarounds besides upgrading.
Mitigations:
-
Avoid clicking external links presented in the UI. Here is an example of an Application node with an external link:
The link's title is user-configurable. So even if you hover the link, and the tooltip looks safe, the link might be malicious. The only way to be certain that the link is safe is to inspect the page's source.
-
Carefully limit who has permissions to edit resource manifests (this is configured in RBAC).
References
Credits
Disclosed by ADA Logics in a 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 | ≥ 1.0.0&&< 2.1.16 | 2.1.16 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | all versions | 2.1.16 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.10 | 2.2.10 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.3.0&&< 2.3.5 | 2.3.5 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.4.0&&< 2.4.1 | 2.4.1 |
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. 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/argoproj/argo-cd to 2.1.16 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-h4w9-6x78-8vrj 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-h4w9-6x78-8vrj 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-h4w9-6x78-8vrj. 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-h4w9-6x78-8vrj in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-h4w9-6x78-8vrj across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.