CVE-2026-15416
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Last Modified:
Description
A flaw was identified in Argo CD, the GitOps engine used by Red Hat OpenShift GitOps, that could allow an unauthenticated attacker with network access to the Argo CD repo-server to achieve remote code execution. Under certain conditions, the attacker may then manipulate cached data to deploy malicious Kubernetes resources to managed clusters, potentially resulting in complete cluster compromise.
Statement
Red Hat is aware of a critical, publicly disclosed remote code execution vulnerability affecting the Argo CD repo-server. Under certain conditions, an unauthenticated attacker with network access to the repo-server gRPC interface could execute arbitrary code and, as part of a multi-stage attack involving the Argo CD Redis cache, potentially compromise Kubernetes clusters managed by Argo CD.
Red Hat OpenShift GitOps versions 1.20 and 1.21 are not affected by this vulnerability. The upstream Argo CD flaw requires unauthenticated network access to the repo-server gRPC endpoint and the Redis database. In Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.20 and above, Kubernetes NetworkPolicies are enabled by default, restricting ingress to these internal components. As a result, the unauthenticated gRPC call path required for exploitation is not reachable from other pods in the cluster, and the attack chain cannot be initiated.
Mitigation
Limit network access to the Argo CD repo-server gRPC endpoint to trusted internal components using Kubernetes NetworkPolicy or equivalent network access controls. Do not expose the repo-server outside the cluster or to untrusted networks. Restrict access to the associated Redis service and update to a fixed version once one becomes available.
Additional information
- This content is not included.Bugzilla 2496732: argo-cd: Argo CD unauthenticated remote code execution in repo-server via GenerateManifest gRPC endpoint
- Content from cwe.mitre.org is not included.CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function
Affected Packages and Issued Red Hat Security Errata
Unless explicitly stated as not affected, all previous versions of packages in any minor update stream of a product listed here should be assumed vulnerable, although may not have been subject to full analysis.
| Products / Services | Components | State | Errata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-image-updater-rhel8 | Affected | |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps | openshift-gitops-1/gitops-operator-bundle | Affected | |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps | openshift-gitops-1/gitops-rhel8 | Affected | |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-agent-rhel9 | Not affected | |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-image-updater-rhel9 | Not affected | |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-agent-rhel8 | Out of support scope | |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-rhel9 | Out of support scope | |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.19 | openshift-gitops-1/argocd-rhel8 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:52857 |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.19 | openshift-gitops-1/gitops-rhel8-operator | Fixed | RHSA-2026:52857 |
| Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4 | odf4/odf-multicluster-rhel9-operator | Not affected | |
| No matching records found | |||
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authorities (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications ).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS v3 Base Score | 8.9 | N/A | 8.9 |
| Attack Vector | Adjacent Network | N/A | Adjacent Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Changed | N/A | Changed |
| Confidentiality Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | Low | N/A | Low |
CVSS v3 Vector
Red Hat CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L
cve.org CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Red Hat's CVSS v3 score or Impact different from other vendors?
For more information, see https://access.redhat.com/solutions/762393.
My product is listed as "Under investigation" or "Affected", when will Red Hat release a fix for this vulnerability?
- "Under investigation" doesn't necessarily mean that the product is affected by this vulnerability. It only means that our Analysis Team is still working on determining whether the product is affected and how it is affected.
- "Affected" means that our Analysis Team has determined that this product is affected by this vulnerability and might release a fix to address this in the near future.
What can I do if my product is listed as "Will not fix"?
Available options depend mostly on the Impact of the vulnerability and the current Life Cycle phase of your product. Overall, you have the following options:
- Upgrade to a supported product version that includes a fix for this vulnerability (recommended).
- Apply a mitigation (if one exists).
- Open a This content is not included.support case to request a prioritization of releasing a fix for this vulnerability.
What can I do if my product is listed as "Fix deferred"?
Available options depend mostly on the Impact of the vulnerability and the current Life Cycle phase of your product. Overall, you have the following options:
- Apply a mitigation (if one exists).
- Open a This content is not included.support case to request a prioritization of releasing a fix for this vulnerability.
- Red Hat Engineering focuses on addressing high-priority issues based on their complexity or limited lifecycle support. Therefore, lower-priority issues will not receive immediate fixes.
What is a mitigation?
I have a Red Hat product but it is not in the above list, is it affected?
Why is my security scanner reporting my product as vulnerable to this vulnerability even though my product version is fixed or not affected?
My product is listed as "Out of Support Scope". What does this mean?
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