CVE-2021-36783
Rancher: Failure to properly sanitize credentials in cluster template answers
A Insufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerability in SUSE Rancher allows authenticated Cluster Owners, Cluster Members, Project Owners and Project Members to read credentials, passwords and API tokens that have been stored in cleartext and exposed via API endpoints. This issue affects: SUSE Rancher Rancher versions prior to 2.6.4; Rancher versions prior to 2.5.13.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Rancher: Failure to properly sanitize credentials in cluster template answers
A Insufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerability in SUSE Rancher allows authenticated Cluster Owners, Cluster Members, Project Owners and Project Members to read credentials, passwords and API tokens that have been stored in cleartext and exposed via API endpoints. This issue affects: SUSE Rancher Rancher versions prior to 2.6.4; Rancher versions prior to 2.5.13.
- Record
CVE-2021-36783- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-522
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-23366
A Insufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerability in SUSE Rancher allows authenticated Cluster Owners, Cluster Members, Project Owners and Project Members to read credentials, passwords and API tokens that have been stored in cleartext and exposed via API endpoints. This issue affects: SUSE Rancher Rancher versions prior to 2.6.4; Rancher versions prior to 2.5.13.
- Record
EUVD-2021-23366- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-8w87-58w6-hfv8
Rancher doesn't properly sanitize credentials in cluster template answers
Impact
It was discovered that in Rancher versions up to and including 2.5.12 and 2.6.3 there is a failure to properly sanitize credentials in cluster template answers. This failure can lead to plaintext storage and exposure of credentials, passwords and API tokens.
The exposed credentials are visible in Rancher to authenticated Cluster Owners, Cluster Members, Project Owners and Project Members on the endpoints /v1/management.cattle.io.clusters, /v3/clusters and /k8s/clusters/local/apis/management.cattle.io/v3/clusters.
Sensitive fields are now stripped from Clusters objects before the object is stored. For objects that existed before this security fix, a one-time migration happens on startup.
Important:
- It is highly advised to review for potential leaked credentials in this scenario, and to change them if deemed necessary.
- The final impact severity for confidentiality, integrity and availability is dependent on the permissions that the leaked credentials have on their own services.
Patches
Patched versions include releases 2.5.13, 2.6.4 and later versions.
Workarounds
Limit access in Rancher to trusted users. There is not a direct mitigation besides upgrading to the patched Rancher versions.
Important: It is highly advised to review for potential leaked credentials in this scenario, and to change them if deemed necessary.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Reach out to SUSE Rancher Security team for security related inquiries.
- Open an issue in Rancher repository.
- Verify our support matrix and product support lifecycle.
- Record
GHSA-8w87-58w6-hfv8- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-312, CWE-522
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
A Insufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerability in SUSE Rancher allows authenticated Cluster Owners, Cluster Members, Project Owners and Project Members to read credentials, passwords and API tokens that have been stored in cleartext and exposed via API endpoints. This issue affects: SUSE Rancher Rancher versions prior to 2.6.4; Rancher versions prior to 2.5.13.
- Record
CVE-2021-36783- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-522
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
A Insufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerability in SUSE Rancher allows authenticated Cluster Owners, Cluster Members, Project Owners and Project Members to read credentials, passwords and API tokens that have been stored in cleartext and exposed via API endpoints. This issue affects: SUSE Rancher Rancher versions prior to 2.6.4; Rancher versions prior to 2.5.13.
- Record
CVE-2021-36783- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-8w87-58w6-hfv8
Rancher doesn't properly sanitize credentials in cluster template answers
Impact
It was discovered that in Rancher versions up to and including 2.5.12 and 2.6.3 there is a failure to properly sanitize credentials in cluster template answers. This failure can lead to plaintext storage and exposure of credentials, passwords and API tokens.
The exposed credentials are visible in Rancher to authenticated Cluster Owners, Cluster Members, Project Owners and Project Members on the endpoints /v1/management.cattle.io.clusters, /v3/clusters and /k8s/clusters/local/apis/management.cattle.io/v3/clusters.
Sensitive fields are now stripped from Clusters objects before the object is stored. For objects that existed before this security fix, a one-time migration happens on startup.
Important:
- It is highly advised to review for potential leaked credentials in this scenario, and to change them if deemed necessary.
- The final impact severity for confidentiality, integrity and availability is dependent on the permissions that the leaked credentials have on their own services.
Patches
Patched versions include releases 2.5.13, 2.6.4 and later versions.
Workarounds
Limit access in Rancher to trusted users. There is not a direct mitigation besides upgrading to the patched Rancher versions.
Important: It is highly advised to review for potential leaked credentials in this scenario, and to change them if deemed necessary.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Reach out to SUSE Rancher Security team for security related inquiries.
- Open an issue in Rancher repository.
- Verify our support matrix and product support lifecycle.
- Record
GHSA-8w87-58w6-hfv8- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-312, CWE-522
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
github.com/rancher/rancherGo |
2.5.0 to 2.5.12 | 2.5.13 |
github.com/rancher/rancherGo |
2.6.0 to 2.6.3 | 2.6.4 |
github.com/rancher/rancherGo |
2.5.0 up to 2.5.13 | 2.5.13 |
github.com/rancher/rancherGo |
2.6.0 up to 2.6.4 | 2.6.4 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-36783 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.9) in Suse Rancher, published September 7, 2022. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.80%, the 56th percentile. Fixed in github.com/rancher/rancher 2.5.13.