GHSA-v8wx-v5jq-qhhw
MEDIUMThe Argo CD web terminal session does not handle the revocation of user permissions properly
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/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
Argo CD v2.11.3 and before, discovering that even if the user's p, role:myrole, exec, create, */*, allow permissions are revoked, the user can still send any Websocket message, which allows the user to view sensitive information. Even though they shouldn't have such access.
Description
Argo CD has a Web-based terminal that allows you to get a shell inside a running pod, just like you would with kubectl exec. However, when the administrator enables this function and grants permission to the user p, role:myrole, exec, create, */*, allow, even if the user revokes this permission, the user can still perform operations in the container, as long as the user keeps the terminal view open for a long time. CVE-2023-40025 Although the token expiration and revocation of the user are fixed, however, the fix does not address the situation of revocation of only user p, role:myrole, exec, create, */*, allow permissions, which may still lead to the leakage of sensitive information.
Patches
A patch for this vulnerability has been released in the following Argo CD versions:
v2.11.7 v2.10.16 v2.9.21
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
Open an issue in the Argo CD issue tracker or discussions Join us on Slack in channel #argo-cd
Credits
This vulnerability was found & reported by Shengjie Li, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Zhi Li, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Weijie Liu, Nankai University
The Argo team would like to thank these contributors for their responsible disclosure and constructive communications during the resolve of this issue
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.6.0&&< 2.9.21 | 2.9.21 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.10.0&&< 2.10.16 | 2.10.16 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.11.0&&< 2.11.7 | 2.11.7 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
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/v2. 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/v2 to 2.9.21 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-v8wx-v5jq-qhhw 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-v8wx-v5jq-qhhw 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-v8wx-v5jq-qhhw. 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-v8wx-v5jq-qhhw in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-v8wx-v5jq-qhhw across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.