GHSA-q6c7-56cq-g2wm
MEDIUMGHSA-q6c7-56cq-g2wm is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.5) Information Exposure vulnerability in github.com/rancher/rancher. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-q6c7-56cq-g2wm is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Rancher's RKE1 Encryption Config kept in plain-text within cluster AppliedSpec
Real-World Exposure
github.com/rancher/rancher🐹github.com/rancher/rancherReal-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
This issue is only relevant to clusters provisioned using RKE1 with secrets encryption configuration enabled.
A vulnerability has been identified in which an RKE1 cluster keeps constantly reconciling when secrets encryption configuration is enabled (please see the RKE documentation). When reconciling, the Kube API secret values are written in plaintext on the AppliedSpec. Cluster owners, Cluster members, and Project members (for projects within the cluster), all have RBAC permissions to view the cluster object from the apiserver.
This could lead to an unauthorized user gaining access to the entire secrets encryption config specific for the cluster, only on the applied spec.
Since this affects only custom encryption configurations, users need to manually rotate the keys by editing the cluster. For more information, please refer to the RKE secrets encryption documentation.
The full custom configuration example:
services:
kube-api:
secrets_encryption_config:
enabled: true
custom_config:
apiVersion: apiserver.config.k8s.io/v1
kind: EncryptionConfiguration
resources:
- resources:
- secrets
providers:
- aescbc:
keys:
- name: k-fw5hn
secret: RTczRjFDODMwQzAyMDVBREU4NDJBMUZFNDhCNzM5N0I= #<--- needs to be changed
- identity: {}
Please consult the associated MITRE ATT&CK - Technique - Unsecured Credentials for further information about this category of attack.
Patches
To address this issue, the fix introduces a new change that copies the AppliedSpec before mutating. As such, the next time the cluster is reconciled and the AppliedSpec is set, all references to sensitive data will be removed.
Patched versions include releases 2.7.14 and 2.8.5.
Workarounds
There are no workarounds for this issue. Users are recommended to upgrade, as soon as possible, to a version of RKE/Rancher Manager which contains the fixes.
References
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Reach out to the SUSE Rancher Security team for security-related inquiries.
- Open an issue in the Rancher repository.
- Verify with our support matrix and product support lifecycle.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/rancher/rancher | ≥ 2.7.0&&< 2.7.14 | 2.7.14 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/rancher/rancher | ≥ 2.8.0&&< 2.8.5 | 2.8.5 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/rancher/rancher. 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/rancher/rancher to 2.7.14 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-q6c7-56cq-g2wm 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-q6c7-56cq-g2wm 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-q6c7-56cq-g2wm. 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-q6c7-56cq-g2wm in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-q6c7-56cq-g2wm across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.