Every CVE Search/ Get API key

CVE-2023-27483

fieldpath's Paved.SetValue allows growing arrays up to arbitrary sizes in crossplane-runtime

5.9 MediumFix available

crossplane-runtime is a set of go libraries used to build Kubernetes controllers in Crossplane and its related stacks. An out of memory panic vulnerability has been discovered in affected versions. Applications that use the Paved type's SetValue method with user provided input without proper validation might use excessive amounts of memory and cause an out of memory panic. In the fieldpath package, the Paved.SetValue method sets a value on the Paved object according to the provided path, without any validation. This allows setting values in slices at any provided index, which grows the target array up to the requested index, the index is currently capped at max uint32 (4294967295) given how indexes are parsed, but that is still an unnecessarily large value. If callers are not validating paths' indexes on their own, which most probably are not going to do, given that the input is parsed directly in the SetValue method, this could allow users to consume arbitrary amounts of memory. Applications that do not use the Paved type's SetValue method are not affected. This issue has been addressed in versions 0.16.1 and 0.19.2. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade can parse and validate the path before passing it to the SetValue method of the Paved type, constraining the index size as deemed appropriate.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

0.80%Up 0.8 points since Mar 10, 2023
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 5.9

fieldpath's Paved.SetValue allows growing arrays up to arbitrary sizes in crossplane-runtime

crossplane-runtime is a set of go libraries used to build Kubernetes controllers in Crossplane and its related stacks. An out of memory panic vulnerability has been discovered in affected versions. Applications that use the Paved type's SetValue method with user provided input without proper validation might use excessive amounts of memory and cause an out of memory panic. In the fieldpath package, the Paved.SetValue method sets a value on the Paved object according to the provided path, without any validation. This allows setting values in slices at any provided index, which grows the target array up to the requested index, the index is currently capped at max uint32 (4294967295) given how indexes are parsed, but that is still an unnecessarily large value. If callers are not validating paths' indexes on their own, which most probably are not going to do, given that the input is parsed directly in the SetValue method, this could allow users to consume arbitrary amounts of memory. Applications that do not use the Paved type's SetValue method are not affected. This issue has been addressed in versions 0.16.1 and 0.19.2. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade can parse and validate the path before passing it to the SetValue method of the Paved type, constraining the index size as deemed appropriate.

Record
CVE-2023-27483
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness
CWE-400, CWE-20
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-1111 5.9

crossplane-runtime is a set of go libraries used to build Kubernetes controllers in Crossplane and its related stacks. An out of memory panic vulnerability has been discovered in affected versions. Applications that use the Paved type's SetValue method with user provided input without proper validation might use excessive amounts of memory and cause an out of memory panic. In the fieldpath package, the Paved.SetValue method sets a value on the Paved object according to the provided path, without any validation. This allows setting values in slices at any provided index, which grows the target array up to the requested index, the index is currently capped at max uint32 (4294967295) given how indexes are parsed, but that is still an unnecessarily large value. If callers are not validating paths' indexes on their own, which most probably are not going to do, given that the input is parsed directly in the SetValue method, this could allow users to consume arbitrary amounts of memory. Applications that do not use the Paved type's SetValue method are not affected. This issue has been addressed in versions 0.16.1 and 0.19.2. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade can parse and validate the path before passing it to the SetValue method of the Paved type, constraining the index size as deemed appropriate.

Record
EUVD-2023-1111
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-vfvj-3m3g-m532 5.9

fieldpath's Paved.SetValue allows growing arrays up to arbitrary sizes in crossplane-runtime

Summary

Fuzz testing on crossplane/crossplane, by Ada Logics and sponsored by the CNCF, identified input to a function in the fieldpath package that can cause an out of memory panic. Applications that use the Paved type's SetValue method with user provided input without proper validation might use excessive amounts of memory and cause an out of memory panic.

Details

In the fieldpath package, the SetValue method of the Paved type sets a value on the inner object according to the provided path, without validating it first. This allows setting values in slices at any specific index and the code will grow the target array up to the required size. The index is currently capped at max uint32 (4294967295) given how indexes are parsed, but that is still an unnecessarily large value.

Workaround

Users can parse and validate the path before passing it to the SetValue method of the Paved type, constraining the index size as deemed appropriate.

Credits

Disclosed by Ada Logics in a fuzzing audit sponsored by CNCF.

Record
GHSA-vfvj-3m3g-m532
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness
CWE-20, CWE-400
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 5.9

crossplane-runtime is a set of go libraries used to build Kubernetes controllers in Crossplane and its related stacks. An out of memory panic vulnerability has been discovered in affected versions. Applications that use the Paved type's SetValue method with user provided input without proper validation might use excessive amounts of memory and cause an out of memory panic. In the fieldpath package, the Paved.SetValue method sets a value on the Paved object according to the provided path, without any validation. This allows setting values in slices at any provided index, which grows the target array up to the requested index, the index is currently capped at max uint32 (4294967295) given how indexes are parsed, but that is still an unnecessarily large value. If callers are not validating paths' indexes on their own, which most probably are not going to do, given that the input is parsed directly in the SetValue method, this could allow users to consume arbitrary amounts of memory. Applications that do not use the Paved type's SetValue method are not affected. This issue has been addressed in versions 0.16.1 and 0.19.2. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade can parse and validate the path before passing it to the SetValue method of the Paved type, constraining the index size as deemed appropriate.

Record
CVE-2023-27483
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness
CWE-20, CWE-400
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 5.9

fieldpath's Paved.SetValue allows growing arrays up to arbitrary sizes in crossplane-runtime

crossplane-runtime is a set of go libraries used to build Kubernetes controllers in Crossplane and its related stacks. An out of memory panic vulnerability has been discovered in affected versions. Applications that use the Paved type's SetValue method with user provided input without proper validation might use excessive amounts of memory and cause an out of memory panic. In the fieldpath package, the Paved.SetValue method sets a value on the Paved object according to the provided path, without any validation. This allows setting values in slices at any provided index, which grows the target array up to the requested index, the index is currently capped at max uint32 (4294967295) given how indexes are parsed, but that is still an unnecessarily large value. If callers are not validating paths' indexes on their own, which most probably are not going to do, given that the input is parsed directly in the SetValue method, this could allow users to consume arbitrary amounts of memory. Applications that do not use the Paved type's SetValue method are not affected. This issue has been addressed in versions 0.16.1 and 0.19.2. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade can parse and validate the path before passing it to the SetValue method of the Paved type, constraining the index size as deemed appropriate.

Record
CVE-2023-27483
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness
CWE-20, CWE-400
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-vfvj-3m3g-m532 5.9

fieldpath's Paved.SetValue allows growing arrays up to arbitrary sizes in crossplane-runtime

Summary

Fuzz testing on crossplane/crossplane, by Ada Logics and sponsored by the CNCF, identified input to a function in the fieldpath package that can cause an out of memory panic. Applications that use the Paved type's SetValue method with user provided input without proper validation might use excessive amounts of memory and cause an out of memory panic.

Details

In the fieldpath package, the SetValue method of the Paved type sets a value on the inner object according to the provided path, without validating it first. This allows setting values in slices at any specific index and the code will grow the target array up to the required size. The index is currently capped at max uint32 (4294967295) given how indexes are parsed, but that is still an unnecessarily large value.

Workaround

Users can parse and validate the path before passing it to the SetValue method of the Paved type, constraining the index size as deemed appropriate.

Credits

Disclosed by Ada Logics in a fuzzing audit sponsored by CNCF.

Record
GHSA-vfvj-3m3g-m532
CVSS 3.1
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness
CWE-20, CWE-400
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGO-2023-1623 No score

Out-of-memory panic in github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime

An out of memory panic vulnerability exists in the crossplane-runtime libraries.

Applications that use the Paved type's SetValue method with user-provided input that is not properly validated might use excessive amounts of memory and cause an out of memory panic.

In the fieldpath package, the Paved.SetValue method sets a value on the Paved object according to the provided path, without any validation. This allows setting values in slices at any provided index, which grows the target array up to the requested index. The index is currently capped at max uint32 (4294967295), a large value. If callers do not validate paths' indexes on their own, this could allow users to consume arbitrary amounts of memory.

Applications that do not use the Paved type's SetValue method are not affected.

Users unable to upgrade can work around this issue by parsing and validating the path before passing it to the SetValue method of the Paved type, constraining the index size as deemed appropriate.

Record
GO-2023-1623
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime
Go
0.17.0 up to 0.19.2
0.19.2
github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime
Go
0.6.0 up to 0.16.1
0.16.1
github.com/crossplane/crossplane-runtime
Go
0.6.0 up to 0.16.1, 0.17.0 up to 0.19.2
0.16.10.19.2

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-2023-27483 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.9) in Crossplane Crossplane-runtime, published March 9, 2023. 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/crossplane/crossplane-runtime 0.19.2.

References

MoveEnter Open