CVE-2023-28114
`cilium-cli` disables etcd authorization for clustermesh clusters
cilium-cli is the command line interface to install, manage, and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters running Cilium. Prior to version 0.13.2,cilium-cli, when used to configure cluster mesh functionality, can remove the enforcement of user permissions on the etcd store used to mirror local cluster information to remote clusters. Users who have set up cluster meshes using the Cilium Helm chart are not affected by this issue.
Due to an incorrect mount point specification, the settings specified by the initContainer that configures etcd users and their permissions are overwritten when using cilium-cli to configure a cluster mesh. An attacker who has already gained access to a valid key and certificate for an etcd cluster compromised in this manner could then modify state in that etcd cluster.
This issue is patched in cilium-cli 0.13.2. As a workaround, one may use Cilium's Helm charts to create their cluster.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.8
`cilium-cli` disables etcd authorization for clustermesh clusters
cilium-cli is the command line interface to install, manage, and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters running Cilium. Prior to version 0.13.2,cilium-cli, when used to configure cluster mesh functionality, can remove the enforcement of user permissions on the etcd store used to mirror local cluster information to remote clusters. Users who have set up cluster meshes using the Cilium Helm chart are not affected by this issue.
Due to an incorrect mount point specification, the settings specified by the initContainer that configures etcd users and their permissions are overwritten when using cilium-cli to configure a cluster mesh. An attacker who has already gained access to a valid key and certificate for an etcd cluster compromised in this manner could then modify state in that etcd cluster.
This issue is patched in cilium-cli 0.13.2. As a workaround, one may use Cilium's Helm charts to create their cluster.
- Record
CVE-2023-28114- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-280, CWE-755
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-0902
4.8
cilium-cli is the command line interface to install, manage, and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters running Cilium. Prior to version 0.13.2,cilium-cli, when used to configure cluster mesh functionality, can remove the enforcement of user permissions on the etcd store used to mirror local cluster information to remote clusters. Users who have set up cluster meshes using the Cilium Helm chart are not affected by this issue.
Due to an incorrect mount point specification, the settings specified by the initContainer that configures etcd users and their permissions are overwritten when using cilium-cli to configure a cluster mesh. An attacker who has already gained access to a valid key and certificate for an etcd cluster compromised in this manner could then modify state in that etcd cluster.
This issue is patched in cilium-cli 0.13.2. As a workaround, one may use Cilium's Helm charts to create their cluster.
- Record
EUVD-2023-0902- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-6f27-3p6c-p5jc
4.8
`cilium-cli` disables etcd authorization for clustermesh clusters
Impact
cilium-cli, when used to configure cluster mesh functionality, can remove the enforcement of user permissions on the etcd store used to mirror local cluster information to remote clusters.
Due to an incorrect mount point specification, the settings specified by the initContainer that configures etcd users and their permissions are overwritten when using cilium-cli to configure a cluster mesh. An attacker who has already gained access to a valid key and certificate for an etcd cluster compromised in this manner could then modify state in that etcd cluster.
Patches
This issue is patched in cilium-cli 0.13.2
All previous versions of cilium-cli are affected. Users who have set up cluster meshes using the Cilium Helm chart are not affected.
Workarounds
Use Cilium's Helm charts to create your cluster instead.
Acknowledgements
The Cilium community has worked together with members of Isovalent to prepare these mitigations. Special thanks to Marco Iorio for investigating and fixing the issue.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, please reach out on Slack.
As usual, if you think you found a related vulnerability, we strongly encourage you to report security vulnerabilities to our private security mailing list: [email protected] - first, before disclosing them in any public forums. This is a private mailing list where only members of the Cilium internal security team are subscribed to, and is treated as top priority.
- Record
GHSA-6f27-3p6c-p5jc- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-280
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
4.8
cilium-cli is the command line interface to install, manage, and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters running Cilium. Prior to version 0.13.2,cilium-cli, when used to configure cluster mesh functionality, can remove the enforcement of user permissions on the etcd store used to mirror local cluster information to remote clusters. Users who have set up cluster meshes using the Cilium Helm chart are not affected by this issue.
Due to an incorrect mount point specification, the settings specified by the initContainer that configures etcd users and their permissions are overwritten when using cilium-cli to configure a cluster mesh. An attacker who has already gained access to a valid key and certificate for an etcd cluster compromised in this manner could then modify state in that etcd cluster.
This issue is patched in cilium-cli 0.13.2. As a workaround, one may use Cilium's Helm charts to create their cluster.
- Record
CVE-2023-28114- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 4.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-280, CWE-755
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
4.8
`cilium-cli` disables etcd authorization for clustermesh clusters
cilium-cli is the command line interface to install, manage, and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters running Cilium. Prior to version 0.13.2,cilium-cli, when used to configure cluster mesh functionality, can remove the enforcement of user permissions on the etcd store used to mirror local cluster information to remote clusters. Users who have set up cluster meshes using the Cilium Helm chart are not affected by this issue.
Due to an incorrect mount point specification, the settings specified by the initContainer that configures etcd users and their permissions are overwritten when using cilium-cli to configure a cluster mesh. An attacker who has already gained access to a valid key and certificate for an etcd cluster compromised in this manner could then modify state in that etcd cluster.
This issue is patched in cilium-cli 0.13.2. As a workaround, one may use Cilium's Helm charts to create their cluster.
- Record
CVE-2023-28114- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-280, CWE-755
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-6f27-3p6c-p5jc
4.8
`cilium-cli` disables etcd authorization for clustermesh clusters
Impact
cilium-cli, when used to configure cluster mesh functionality, can remove the enforcement of user permissions on the etcd store used to mirror local cluster information to remote clusters.
Due to an incorrect mount point specification, the settings specified by the initContainer that configures etcd users and their permissions are overwritten when using cilium-cli to configure a cluster mesh. An attacker who has already gained access to a valid key and certificate for an etcd cluster compromised in this manner could then modify state in that etcd cluster.
Patches
This issue is patched in cilium-cli 0.13.2
All previous versions of cilium-cli are affected. Users who have set up cluster meshes using the Cilium Helm chart are not affected.
Workarounds
Use Cilium's Helm charts to create your cluster instead.
Acknowledgements
The Cilium community has worked together with members of Isovalent to prepare these mitigations. Special thanks to Marco Iorio for investigating and fixing the issue.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, please reach out on Slack.
As usual, if you think you found a related vulnerability, we strongly encourage you to report security vulnerabilities to our private security mailing list: [email protected] - first, before disclosing them in any public forums. This is a private mailing list where only members of the Cilium internal security team are subscribed to, and is treated as top priority.
- Record
GHSA-6f27-3p6c-p5jc- CVSS 3.1
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-280
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGO-2023-1653 No score
`cilium-cli` disables etcd authorization for clustermesh clusters in github.com/cilium/cilium-cli
cilium-cli disables etcd authorization for clustermesh clusters in github.com/cilium/cilium-cli
- Record
GO-2023-1653- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
github.com/cilium/cilium-cliGo |
before 0.13.2 | 0.13.2 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-28114 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.8) in Cilium Cilium-cli, published March 21, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.19%, the 8th percentile. Fixed in github.com/cilium/cilium-cli 0.13.2.
References
github.com/cilium/cilium-cli/security/advisories/GHSA-6f27-3p6c-p5jc
github.com/cilium/cilium-cli/commit/fb1427025764e1eebc4a7710d902c4f22cae2610
artifacthub.io/packages/helm/cilium/cilium
github.com/cilium/cilium-cli/releases/tag/v0.13.2
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28114
github.com/advisories/GHSA-6f27-3p6c-p5jc
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/28xxx/CVE-2023-28114.json
github.com/cilium/cilium-cli