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External URLs for Deployments can include javascript

Critical
crenshaw-dev published GHSA-h4w9-6x78-8vrj Jun 21, 2022

Package

gomod github.com/argoproj/argo-cd (Go)

Affected versions

1.0.0 through 2.1.15, 2.2.9, 2.3.4, 2.4.0

Patched versions

2.1.16, 2.2.10, 2.3.5, 2.4.1

Description

Impact

All unpatched versions of Argo CD starting with v1.0.0 are vulnerable to a cross-site scripting (XSS) bug allowing a malicious user to inject a javascript: link in the UI. When clicked by a victim user, the script will execute with the victim's permissions (up to and including admin).

The script would be capable of doing anything which is possible in the UI or via the API, such as creating, modifying, and deleting Kubernetes resources.

Patches

A patch for this vulnerability has been released in the following Argo CD versions:

  • v2.4.1
  • v2.3.5
  • v2.2.10
  • v2.1.16

Workarounds

There are no completely-safe workarounds besides upgrading.

Mitigations:

  1. Avoid clicking external links presented in the UI. Here is an example of an Application node with an external link:

    Application node in the Argo CD UI with an external link

    The link's title is user-configurable. So even if you hover the link, and the tooltip looks safe, the link might be malicious. The only way to be certain that the link is safe is to inspect the page's source.

  2. Carefully limit who has permissions to edit resource manifests (this is configured in RBAC).

References

Credits

Disclosed by ADA Logics in a security audit of the Argo project sponsored by CNCF and facilitated by OSTIF. Thanks to Adam Korczynski and David Korczynski for their work on the audit.

For more information

Severity

Critical

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE ID

CVE-2022-31035

Weaknesses

Credits