OpenShift GitOps Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2025-13888) Enables Cluster Takeover

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Privilege escalation via ArgoCD Custom Resources in OpenShift GitOps (CVE-2025-13888)

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Security Online InfoNews · Dec 16, 2025

Critical OpenShift GitOps Flaw Risks Cluster Takeover (CVE-2025-13888) via Privilege Escalation to RootOpen source ↗

Cvefeed High SeverityAdvisories · Dec 15, 2025

CVE-2025-13888 - Openshift-gitops-operator: openshift gitops: namespace admin cluster takeover via privileged jobsOpen source ↗

On the same thread

A high-severity flaw tracked as **CVE-2026-15416** allows unauthenticated remote code execution in **Argo CD** by abusing the repo-server's `GenerateManifest` gRPC endpoint. According to Red Hat and related disclosures, an attacker with network access to the repo-server interface can exploit malicious `KustomizeOptions`, including `BuildOptions` or `BinaryPath`, to run arbitrary commands inside the repo-server pod. The issue is rated **CVSS 8.9** and mapped to **CWE-306** for missing authentication on a critical function. The vulnerability can also be chained with access to the Argo CD **Redis** cache to tamper with cached data and push attacker-controlled Kubernetes manifests to Argo CD-managed environments, creating a path to full cluster compromise. Red Hat said affected products include Argo CD deployments and related OpenShift components, while **OpenShift GitOps 1.20 and 1.21** are not affected because default Kubernetes `NetworkPolicy` settings block the required access to internal repo-server and Redis services. Recommended actions include patching to a fixed version, preventing external exposure of the repo-server, restricting network access to the gRPC endpoint and Redis, and reviewing deployment configurations.

Jul 15, 2026

Critical Privilege Escalation in OpenShift Multicluster Engine cluster-curator-controller

Red Hat disclosed **`CVE-2026-73269`**, a critical privilege-escalation flaw in the `cluster-curator-controller` component used by **OpenShift Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes**. The bug allows a tenant with only namespace-level access to create a crafted `ClusterCurator` resource whose `metadata.name` differs from `metadata.namespace`, triggering the controller to create a cluster-scoped `ClusterRoleBinding` and, in some cases, a `RoleBinding` in an arbitrary namespace. Those bindings can attach the tenant’s namespace-local `cluster-installer` service account to the powerful curator role, effectively breaking namespace isolation. Successful exploitation can elevate a local tenant to **cluster-wide privileges**, including access to and manipulation of secrets, management of cluster actions, and deletion of hosted clusters or node pools. The issue carries a **CVSS 3.1 score of 9.9** and affects `multicluster-engine/cluster-curator-controller-rhel9`. Red Hat advised organizations to apply vendor fixes and reduce exposure by restricting creation of `ClusterCurator` resources through RBAC, enforcing matching `metadata.name` and `metadata.namespace` with an admission controller, and reviewing permissions that allow creation of cluster-scoped resources.

Aug 13, 2026

Red Hat OpenShift AI Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Allowing Full Cluster Compromise

A critical privilege escalation vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-10725, has been identified in Red Hat OpenShift AI Service. This flaw is rated with a CVSS score of 9.9, indicating its severe impact on affected systems. The vulnerability arises from an overly permissive clusterrole configuration, which allows authenticated users, such as data scientists operating standard Jupyter notebooks, to escalate their privileges to that of a full cluster administrator. Exploitation of this flaw enables attackers to gain complete control over the OpenShift AI cluster, compromising its confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can steal sensitive data, disrupt all hosted services, and take over the underlying infrastructure. The risk extends to all applications and workloads running on the compromised cluster, potentially leading to widespread operational and data loss. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable, meaning attackers do not require physical access to the environment. Red Hat has acknowledged the issue and released security advisories to inform customers of the risk. The flaw was publicly disclosed on September 30, 2025, and security researchers have emphasized the urgency of patching affected systems. Organizations using Red Hat OpenShift AI are strongly advised to review their clusterrole permissions and apply available patches or mitigations immediately. The vulnerability highlights the importance of least-privilege access controls in containerized and AI-driven environments. Failure to address this issue could result in attackers gaining persistent access to critical infrastructure. The incident underscores the need for continuous monitoring and timely response to privilege escalation threats in cloud-native platforms. Security teams should also audit user roles and permissions to prevent similar misconfigurations in the future. The disclosure has prompted industry-wide discussions on the security of AI and machine learning platforms. Red Hat customers are encouraged to consult official advisories and update their systems without delay to mitigate the risk of exploitation.

Sep 30, 2025

OpenShift GitOps Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2025-13888) Enables Cluster Takeover

How this story unfolded

Public reporting highlights cluster takeover risk from CVE-2025-13888

Red Hat confirms critical OpenShift GitOps privilege-escalation flaw

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OpenShift GitOps Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2025-13888) Enables Cluster Takeover

How this story unfolded

Public reporting highlights cluster takeover risk from CVE-2025-13888

Red Hat confirms critical OpenShift GitOps privilege-escalation flaw

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Vulnerabilities

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See the full picture, correlated to your attack surface.

OpenShift GitOps Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2025-13888) Enables Cluster Takeover

How this story unfolded

Public reporting highlights cluster takeover risk from CVE-2025-13888

Red Hat confirms critical OpenShift GitOps privilege-escalation flaw

Related entities

Vulnerabilities

Sources

See the full picture, correlated to your attack surface.

Related stories

Unauthenticated Argo CD repo-server RCE exposes Kubernetes clusters to takeover

Critical Privilege Escalation in OpenShift Multicluster Engine cluster-curator-controller

Red Hat OpenShift AI Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Allowing Full Cluster Compromise

OpenShift GitOps Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2025-13888) Enables Cluster Takeover

How this story unfolded

Public reporting highlights cluster takeover risk from CVE-2025-13888

Red Hat confirms critical OpenShift GitOps privilege-escalation flaw

Related entities

Vulnerabilities

Sources

See the full picture, correlated to your attack surface.

Related stories

Unauthenticated Argo CD repo-server RCE exposes Kubernetes clusters to takeover

Critical Privilege Escalation in OpenShift Multicluster Engine cluster-curator-controller

Red Hat OpenShift AI Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Allowing Full Cluster Compromise