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CVE-2023-23939

Azure/setup-kubectl: Escalation of privilege vulnerability for v3 and lower

3.9 LowFix available

Azure/setup-kubectl is a GitHub Action for installing Kubectl. This vulnerability only impacts versions before version 3. An insecure temporary creation of a file allows other actors on the Actions runner to replace the Kubectl binary created by this action because it is world writable. This Kubectl tool installer runs fs.chmodSync(kubectlPath, 777) to set permissions on the Kubectl binary, however, this allows any local user to replace the Kubectl binary. This allows privilege escalation to the user that can also run kubectl, most likely root. This attack is only possible if an attacker somehow breached the GitHub actions runner or if a user is utilizing an Action that maliciously executes this attack. This has been fixed and released in all versions v3 and later. 775 permissions are used instead. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges needed
High
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

Exploit likelihood

0.36%Up 0.3 points since Mar 7, 2023
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 3.9

Azure/setup-kubectl: Escalation of privilege vulnerability for v3 and lower

Azure/setup-kubectl is a GitHub Action for installing Kubectl. This vulnerability only impacts versions before version 3. An insecure temporary creation of a file allows other actors on the Actions runner to replace the Kubectl binary created by this action because it is world writable. This Kubectl tool installer runs fs.chmodSync(kubectlPath, 777) to set permissions on the Kubectl binary, however, this allows any local user to replace the Kubectl binary. This allows privilege escalation to the user that can also run kubectl, most likely root. This attack is only possible if an attacker somehow breached the GitHub actions runner or if a user is utilizing an Action that maliciously executes this attack. This has been fixed and released in all versions v3 and later. 775 permissions are used instead. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

Record
CVE-2023-23939
CVSS 3.1
3.9 LowCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
Weakness
CWE-732
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-1065 3.9

Azure/setup-kubectl is a GitHub Action for installing Kubectl. This vulnerability only impacts versions before version 3. An insecure temporary creation of a file allows other actors on the Actions runner to replace the Kubectl binary created by this action because it is world writable. This Kubectl tool installer runs fs.chmodSync(kubectlPath, 777) to set permissions on the Kubectl binary, however, this allows any local user to replace the Kubectl binary. This allows privilege escalation to the user that can also run kubectl, most likely root. This attack is only possible if an attacker somehow breached the GitHub actions runner or if a user is utilizing an Action that maliciously executes this attack. This has been fixed and released in all versions v3 and later. 775 permissions are used instead. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

Record
EUVD-2023-1065
CVSS 3.1
3.9 LowCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-p756-rfxh-x63h 3.0

Azure/setup-kubectl: Escalation of privilege vulnerability for v3 and lower

Impact

This vulnerability only impacts versions v2 and lower. An insecure temporary creation of a file allows other actors on the Actions runner to replace the Kubectl binary created by this action because it is world writable. This Kubectl tool installer runs fs.chmodSync(kubectlPath, 777) to set permissions on the Kubectl binary, however, this allows any local user to replace the Kubectl binary. This allows privilege escalation to the user that can also run kubectl, most likely root. This attack is only possible if an attacker somehow breached the GitHub actions runner or if a user is utilizing an Action that maliciously executes this attack.

No impacted customers have been reported.

Patches

This has been fixed and released in all versions v3 and later. 755 permissions are used instead.

Workarounds

If users absolutely cannot upgrade to v3 or higher than they should be extra diligent of the other GitHub actions they are using in a workflow and ensure that their GitHub actions runner is secure.

Record
GHSA-p756-rfxh-x63h
CVSS 3.1
3.0 LowCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
Weakness
CWE-732
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 3.9

Azure/setup-kubectl is a GitHub Action for installing Kubectl. This vulnerability only impacts versions before version 3. An insecure temporary creation of a file allows other actors on the Actions runner to replace the Kubectl binary created by this action because it is world writable. This Kubectl tool installer runs fs.chmodSync(kubectlPath, 777) to set permissions on the Kubectl binary, however, this allows any local user to replace the Kubectl binary. This allows privilege escalation to the user that can also run kubectl, most likely root. This attack is only possible if an attacker somehow breached the GitHub actions runner or if a user is utilizing an Action that maliciously executes this attack. This has been fixed and released in all versions v3 and later. 775 permissions are used instead. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

Record
CVE-2023-23939
CVSS 3.1
3.9 LowCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
CVSS 3.1
7.0 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-732
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 3.9

Azure/setup-kubectl: Escalation of privilege vulnerability for v3 and lower

Azure/setup-kubectl is a GitHub Action for installing Kubectl. This vulnerability only impacts versions before version 3. An insecure temporary creation of a file allows other actors on the Actions runner to replace the Kubectl binary created by this action because it is world writable. This Kubectl tool installer runs fs.chmodSync(kubectlPath, 777) to set permissions on the Kubectl binary, however, this allows any local user to replace the Kubectl binary. This allows privilege escalation to the user that can also run kubectl, most likely root. This attack is only possible if an attacker somehow breached the GitHub actions runner or if a user is utilizing an Action that maliciously executes this attack. This has been fixed and released in all versions v3 and later. 775 permissions are used instead. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

Record
CVE-2023-23939
CVSS 3.1
3.9 LowCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
Weakness
CWE-732
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-p756-rfxh-x63h 3.0

Azure/setup-kubectl: Escalation of privilege vulnerability for v3 and lower

Impact

This vulnerability only impacts versions v2 and lower. An insecure temporary creation of a file allows other actors on the Actions runner to replace the Kubectl binary created by this action because it is world writable. This Kubectl tool installer runs fs.chmodSync(kubectlPath, 777) to set permissions on the Kubectl binary, however, this allows any local user to replace the Kubectl binary. This allows privilege escalation to the user that can also run kubectl, most likely root. This attack is only possible if an attacker somehow breached the GitHub actions runner or if a user is utilizing an Action that maliciously executes this attack.

No impacted customers have been reported.

Patches

This has been fixed and released in all versions v3 and later. 755 permissions are used instead.

Workarounds

If users absolutely cannot upgrade to v3 or higher than they should be extra diligent of the other GitHub actions they are using in a workflow and ensure that their GitHub actions runner is secure.

Record
GHSA-p756-rfxh-x63h
CVSS 3.1
3.0 LowCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
Weakness
CWE-732
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
Azure/setup-kubectl
GitHub Actions
before 3
3

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2023-23939 is a low vulnerability (CVSS 3.9) in Azure Setup-kubectl, published March 6, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.36%, the 30th percentile. Fixed in Azure/setup-kubectl 3.

References

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