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GHSA-x7xj-jvwp-97rv

RKE2 allows privilege escalation in Windows nodes due to Insecure Access Control Lists

9.1 CriticalFix available

GHSA-x7xj-jvwp-97rv is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.1) in github.com/rancher/rke2, published October 25, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. Fixed in github.com/rancher/rke2 1.27.15.

Severity
9.1 CriticalCVSS 3.1, GitHub Advisories
Exploit chance
UnscoredNo EPSS score yet
Exploitation
None knownNot on CISA’s or ENISA’s lists

Description

Impact

A vulnerability has been identified whereby RKE2 deployments in Windows nodes have weak Access Control Lists (ACL), allowing BUILTIN\Users or NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users to view or edit sensitive files which could lead to privilege escalation.

The affected files include binaries, scripts, configuration and log files:

C:\etc\rancher\node\password
C:\var\lib\rancher\rke2\agent\logs\kubelet.log
C:\var\lib\rancher\rke2\data\v1.**.**-rke2r*-windows-amd64-*\bin\*
C:\var\lib\rancher\rke2\bin\*

This vulnerability is exclusive to RKE2 in Windows environments. Linux environments are not affected by it.

Please consult the associated MITRE ATT&CK - Technique - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation for further information about this category of attack.

Patches

Patched versions include RKE2 1.31.0, 1.30.2, 1.29.6, 1.28.11 and 1.27.15.

Workarounds

Users are advised to do a fresh install of their RKE2 Windows nodes using a patched RKE2 version. When that is not possible, users can enforce stricter ACLs for all sensitive files affected by this Security Advisory running this PowerShell script as an Administrator on each node.

References

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
High
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
github.com/rancher/rke2
Go
1.27.0 up to 1.27.15
1.27.15
github.com/rancher/rke2
Go
1.28.0 up to 1.28.11
1.28.11
github.com/rancher/rke2
Go
1.29.0 up to 1.29.6
1.29.6
github.com/rancher/rke2
Go
1.30.0 up to 1.30.2
1.30.2
github.com/rancher/rke2
Go
All versionsNone known

What each source reports

GitHub Advisories Score used9.1

RKE2 allows privilege escalation in Windows nodes due to Insecure Access Control Lists

Impact

A vulnerability has been identified whereby RKE2 deployments in Windows nodes have weak Access Control Lists (ACL), allowing BUILTIN\Users or NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users to view or edit sensitive files which could lead to privilege escalation.

The affected files include binaries, scripts, configuration and log files:

C:\etc\rancher\node\password
C:\var\lib\rancher\rke2\agent\logs\kubelet.log
C:\var\lib\rancher\rke2\data\v1.**.**-rke2r*-windows-amd64-*\bin\*
C:\var\lib\rancher\rke2\bin\*

This vulnerability is exclusive to RKE2 in Windows environments. Linux environments are not affected by it.

Please consult the associated MITRE ATT&CK - Technique - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation for further information about this category of attack.

Patches

Patched versions include RKE2 1.31.0, 1.30.2, 1.29.6, 1.28.11 and 1.27.15.

Workarounds

Users are advised to do a fresh install of their RKE2 Windows nodes using a patched RKE2 version. When that is not possible, users can enforce stricter ACLs for all sensitive files affected by this Security Advisory running this PowerShell script as an Administrator on each node.

References

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Record
GHSA-x7xj-jvwp-97rv
CVSS 3.1
9.1 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-269, CWE-732
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV9.1

RKE2 allows privilege escalation in Windows nodes due to Insecure Access Control Lists

Impact

A vulnerability has been identified whereby RKE2 deployments in Windows nodes have weak Access Control Lists (ACL), allowing BUILTIN\Users or NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users to view or edit sensitive files which could lead to privilege escalation.

The affected files include binaries, scripts, configuration and log files:

C:\etc\rancher\node\password
C:\var\lib\rancher\rke2\agent\logs\kubelet.log
C:\var\lib\rancher\rke2\data\v1.**.**-rke2r*-windows-amd64-*\bin\*
C:\var\lib\rancher\rke2\bin\*

This vulnerability is exclusive to RKE2 in Windows environments. Linux environments are not affected by it.

Please consult the associated MITRE ATT&CK - Technique - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation for further information about this category of attack.

Patches

Patched versions include RKE2 1.31.0, 1.30.2, 1.29.6, 1.28.11 and 1.27.15.

Workarounds

Users are advised to do a fresh install of their RKE2 Windows nodes using a patched RKE2 version. When that is not possible, users can enforce stricter ACLs for all sensitive files affected by this Security Advisory running this PowerShell script as an Administrator on each node.

References

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Record
GHSA-x7xj-jvwp-97rv
CVSS 3.1
9.1 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-269, CWE-732
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGO-2024-3222No score

RKE2 allows privilege escalation in Windows nodes due to Insecure Access Control Lists in github.com/rancher/rke2

RKE2 allows privilege escalation in Windows nodes due to Insecure Access Control Lists in github.com/rancher/rke2.

NOTE: The source advisory for this report contains additional versions that could not be automatically mapped to standard Go module versions.

(If this is causing false-positive reports from vulnerability scanners, please suggest an edit to the report.)

The additional affected modules and versions are: github.com/rancher/rke2 from v1.27.0 before v1.27.15, from v1.28.0 before v1.28.11, from v1.29.0 before v1.29.6, from v1.30.0 before v1.30.2.

Record
GO-2024-3222
Updated
2026-11-02

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
first indexedGitHub Advisories, OSV

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

References

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