{"id":"CVE-2023-34091","aliases":["EUVD-2023-1825","GHSA-hq4m-4948-64cc","GO-2023-1819"],"status":"published","title":"Kyverno resource with a deletionTimestamp may allow policy circumvention","description":"Kyverno is a policy engine designed for Kubernetes. In versions of Kyverno prior to 1.10.0, resources which have the `deletionTimestamp` field defined can bypass validate, generate, or mutate-existing policies, even in cases where the `validationFailureAction` field is set to `Enforce`. This situation occurs as resources pending deletion were being consciously exempted by Kyverno, as a way to reduce processing load as policies are typically not applied to objects which are being deleted. However, this could potentially result in allowing a malicious user to leverage the Kubernetes finalizers feature by setting a finalizer which causes the Kubernetes API server to set the `deletionTimestamp` and then not completing the delete operation as a way to explicitly to bypass a Kyverno policy. Note that this is not applicable to Kubernetes Pods but, as an example, a Kubernetes Service resource can be manipulated using an indefinite finalizer to bypass policies. This is resolved in Kyverno 1.10.0. There is no known workaround.","severity":{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","level":"medium","assessor":"cna","from":"cve"},"epss":{"day":"2026-11-09","score":0.00497,"percentile":0.42884,"model":"v2026.06.15"},"facts":{"in_kev":false,"known_exploited":false,"public_exploit":false,"fix_available":true},"cwes":["CWE-285"],"published":"2023-06-01T16:24:53Z","modified":"2026-10-28T02:30:26Z","fixes":[{"ecosystem":"Go","package":"github.com/kyverno/kyverno","fixed_in":["1.10.0"],"sources":["ghsa","osv"]}],"affected":[{"source":"ghsa","ecosystem":"Go","package":"github.com/kyverno/kyverno","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"1.10.0"}]}]},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"Go","package":"github.com/kyverno/kyverno","ranges":[{"type":"SEMVER","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"1.10.0"}]}]},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"Go","package":"github.com/kyverno/kyverno","ranges":[{"type":"SEMVER","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"1.10.0"}]}]}],"products":[{"vendor":"kyverno","product":"kyverno"},{"vendor":"nirmata","product":"kyverno"}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno/security/advisories/GHSA-hq4m-4948-64cc","tags":["x_refsource_CONFIRM","x_transferred","Vendor Advisory","advisory","web"]},{"url":"https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno/releases/tag/v1.10.0","tags":["x_refsource_MISC","x_transferred","Release Notes","web"]},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-34091","tags":["advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hq4m-4948-64cc"},{"url":"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/34xxx/CVE-2023-34091.json","tags":["advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno","tags":["package"]}],"sources":{"cve":[{"id":"CVE-2023-34091","title":"Kyverno resource with a deletionTimestamp may allow policy circumvention","description":"Kyverno is a policy engine designed for Kubernetes. In versions of Kyverno prior to 1.10.0, resources which have the `deletionTimestamp` field defined can bypass validate, generate, or mutate-existing policies, even in cases where the `validationFailureAction` field is set to `Enforce`. This situation occurs as resources pending deletion were being consciously exempted by Kyverno, as a way to reduce processing load as policies are typically not applied to objects which are being deleted. However, this could potentially result in allowing a malicious user to leverage the Kubernetes finalizers feature by setting a finalizer which causes the Kubernetes API server to set the `deletionTimestamp` and then not completing the delete operation as a way to explicitly to bypass a Kyverno policy. Note that this is not applicable to Kubernetes Pods but, as an example, a Kubernetes Service resource can be manipulated using an indefinite finalizer to bypass policies. This is resolved in Kyverno 1.10.0. There is no known workaround.","status":"published","published":"2023-06-01T16:24:53.92Z","modified":"2025-01-08T21:32:51.451Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","level":"medium","assessor":"cna"}],"cwes":["CWE-285"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T14:35:35.912488Z"}],"euvd":[{"id":"EUVD-2023-1825","description":"Kyverno is a policy engine designed for Kubernetes. In versions of Kyverno prior to 1.10.0, resources which have the `deletionTimestamp` field defined can bypass validate, generate, or mutate-existing policies, even in cases where the `validationFailureAction` field is set to `Enforce`. This situation occurs as resources pending deletion were being consciously exempted by Kyverno, as a way to reduce processing load as policies are typically not applied to objects which are being deleted. However, this could potentially result in allowing a malicious user to leverage the Kubernetes finalizers feature by setting a finalizer which causes the Kubernetes API server to set the `deletionTimestamp` and then not completing the delete operation as a way to explicitly to bypass a Kyverno policy. Note that this is not applicable to Kubernetes Pods but, as an example, a Kubernetes Service resource can be manipulated using an indefinite finalizer to bypass policies. This is resolved in Kyverno 1.10.0. There is no known workaround.","status":"published","published":"2023-06-01T16:24:53Z","modified":"2025-01-08T21:32:51Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","level":"medium"}],"updated_at":"2026-11-03T00:04:23.094473Z"}],"ghsa":[{"id":"GHSA-hq4m-4948-64cc","title":"Kyverno resource with a deletionTimestamp may allow policy circumvention","description":"### Impact\n\nIn versions of Kyverno prior to 1.10.0, resources which have the `deletionTimestamp` field defined can bypass validate, generate, or mutate-existing policies, even in cases where the `validationFailureAction` field is set to `Enforce`. \n\nThis situation occurs as resources pending deletion were being consciously exempted by Kyverno, as a way to reduce processing load as policies are typically not applied to objects which are being deleted. \n\nHowever, this could potentially result in allowing a malicious user to leverage the [Kubernetes finalizers feature](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/finalizers/) by setting a finalizer which causes the Kubernetes API server to set the `deletionTimestamp` and then not completing the delete operation as a way to explicitly to bypass a Kyverno policy. \n\nNote that this is not applicable to Kubernetes Pods but, as an example, a Kubernetes Service resource can be manipulated using an indefinite finalizer to bypass policies.\n\n\n### Patches\nThis is resolved in Kyverno 1.10.0.\n\n### Workarounds\nThere is no known workaround.\n\n### References\n_Are there any links users can visit to find out more?_\n","status":"published","published":"2023-06-05T17:10:13Z","modified":"2023-11-11T05:00:48Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-285"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T14:37:19.438667Z"}],"nvd":[{"id":"CVE-2023-34091","description":"Kyverno is a policy engine designed for Kubernetes. In versions of Kyverno prior to 1.10.0, resources which have the `deletionTimestamp` field defined can bypass validate, generate, or mutate-existing policies, even in cases where the `validationFailureAction` field is set to `Enforce`. This situation occurs as resources pending deletion were being consciously exempted by Kyverno, as a way to reduce processing load as policies are typically not applied to objects which are being deleted. However, this could potentially result in allowing a malicious user to leverage the Kubernetes finalizers feature by setting a finalizer which causes the Kubernetes API server to set the `deletionTimestamp` and then not completing the delete operation as a way to explicitly to bypass a Kyverno policy. Note that this is not applicable to Kubernetes Pods but, as an example, a Kubernetes Service resource can be manipulated using an indefinite finalizer to bypass policies. This is resolved in Kyverno 1.10.0. There is no known workaround.","status":"published","published":"2023-06-01T17:15:10.873Z","modified":"2026-06-17T06:02:52.443Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","level":"medium","assessor":"secondary"},{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","level":"medium","assessor":"primary"}],"cwes":["CWE-285"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T14:08:03.795015Z"}],"osv":[{"id":"CVE-2023-34091","title":"Kyverno resource with a deletionTimestamp may allow policy circumvention","description":"Kyverno is a policy engine designed for Kubernetes. In versions of Kyverno prior to 1.10.0, resources which have the `deletionTimestamp` field defined can bypass validate, generate, or mutate-existing policies, even in cases where the `validationFailureAction` field is set to `Enforce`. This situation occurs as resources pending deletion were being consciously exempted by Kyverno, as a way to reduce processing load as policies are typically not applied to objects which are being deleted. However, this could potentially result in allowing a malicious user to leverage the Kubernetes finalizers feature by setting a finalizer which causes the Kubernetes API server to set the `deletionTimestamp` and then not completing the delete operation as a way to explicitly to bypass a Kyverno policy. Note that this is not applicable to Kubernetes Pods but, as an example, a Kubernetes Service resource can be manipulated using an indefinite finalizer to bypass policies. This is resolved in Kyverno 1.10.0. There is no known workaround.","status":"published","published":"2023-06-01T16:24:53.92Z","modified":"2026-10-28T02:30:26.447609743Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-285"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T15:44:32.116263Z"},{"id":"GHSA-hq4m-4948-64cc","title":"Kyverno resource with a deletionTimestamp may allow policy circumvention","description":"### Impact\n\nIn versions of Kyverno prior to 1.10.0, resources which have the `deletionTimestamp` field defined can bypass validate, generate, or mutate-existing policies, even in cases where the `validationFailureAction` field is set to `Enforce`. \n\nThis situation occurs as resources pending deletion were being consciously exempted by Kyverno, as a way to reduce processing load as policies are typically not applied to objects which are being deleted. \n\nHowever, this could potentially result in allowing a malicious user to leverage the [Kubernetes finalizers feature](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/finalizers/) by setting a finalizer which causes the Kubernetes API server to set the `deletionTimestamp` and then not completing the delete operation as a way to explicitly to bypass a Kyverno policy. \n\nNote that this is not applicable to Kubernetes Pods but, as an example, a Kubernetes Service resource can be manipulated using an indefinite finalizer to bypass policies.\n\n\n### Patches\nThis is resolved in Kyverno 1.10.0.\n\n### Workarounds\nThere is no known workaround.\n\n### References\n_Are there any links users can visit to find out more?_\n","status":"published","published":"2023-06-05T17:10:13Z","modified":"2026-08-07T08:12:31.320239807Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-285"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T15:46:49.28217Z"},{"id":"GO-2023-1819","title":"Kyverno resource with a deletionTimestamp may allow policy circumvention in github.com/kyverno/kyverno","description":"Kyverno resource with a deletionTimestamp may allow policy circumvention in github.com/kyverno/kyverno","status":"published","published":"2024-08-20T20:31:32Z","modified":"2026-08-07T08:12:24.202437663Z","updated_at":"2026-11-02T15:47:01.185262Z"}]}}