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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.
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3 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
Red Hat last modified the CVE-2026-73269 record, maintaining the affected product details, severity information, and mitigation guidance. The entry still indicated no erratum was listed for the affected package.
Red Hat Bugzilla recorded issue 2514220 describing how a ClusterCurator resource with mismatched metadata.name and metadata.namespace can cause ApplyRBACHypershift to create a RoleBinding in an arbitrary namespace and a cluster-scoped ClusterRoleBinding. The report states this can bind a namespace-local service account to the curator ClusterRole and escalate access to cluster-wide privileges.
Red Hat published CVE-2026-73269 for a privilege-escalation flaw in the Multicluster Engine cluster-curator-controller. The issue allows a tenant with namespace-level access to craft a ClusterCurator resource that triggers creation of bindings granting cluster-wide privileges.
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Red Hat disclosed **CVE-2026-73268**, an Important-severity flaw in the `cluster-curator-controller` component of **Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes** that can let a tenant escalate privileges to the controller’s level. The issue stems from the `CreateJob()` function improperly unmarshaling user-controlled data from `spec.install.overrideJob` into a Kubernetes `Job` without validating dangerous fields, enabling arbitrary Job specification injection by users who can create or update `ClusterCurator` resources. Successful exploitation can cause the injected Job to run under the controller’s privileged ServiceAccount, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution, access to cluster-wide secrets, and control over managed cluster resources. Red Hat scored the bug **9.9 CVSS v3.1** and linked it to **CWE-94**; affected software includes `multicluster-engine/cluster-curator-controller-rhel9`. Recommended mitigations include applying vendor fixes, tightening **RBAC** so only trusted administrators can manage `clustercurators.cluster.open-cluster-management.io`, and reviewing controller privileges and validation controls around Job creation.
Aug 13, 2026
Red Hat disclosed **CVE-2026-10059**, an Important-severity privilege-escalation flaw in the **ClusterCurator controller** component of **Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes**. The vulnerability allows a tenant administrator with only namespace-scoped privileges to create a namespaced `ClusterCurator`, which causes the controller to create a `cluster-installer` ServiceAccount in the tenant namespace and bind it to cluster-wide curator privileges. Red Hat scored the issue **CVSS 9.1** and mapped it to **CWE-266** for incorrect privilege assignment. Because the privileged ServiceAccount is created inside a tenant-controlled namespace, an attacker with namespace admin rights can mint a token for it and immediately inherit cluster-wide authority, effectively gaining full control of the Kubernetes cluster. Red Hat said the affected component is `multicluster-engine/cluster-curator-controller-rhel9`, reported that no mitigation meeting its product security criteria is currently available, and credited **Christopher Lusk of North Echo Security Research** with reporting the bug.
Aug 5, 2026
Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes 2 is affected by **CVE-2026-10090**, an Important privilege escalation flaw in the `multicluster-operators-subscription` component that can let a user with namespace-scoped `edit` rights gain full `cluster-admin` access. Red Hat assigned the issue a **CVSS v3.1 score of 9.9**, and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security issued advisory **AV26-803** urging organizations to review Red Hat guidance and apply updates when available. According to Red Hat's bug report and CVE record, the Application Subscription controller can be abused by creating a malicious Channel and Subscription that point to an attacker-controlled Helm repository. The controller then applies the Helm chart with elevated privileges without verifying the creator holds the required `open-cluster-management:subscription-admin` role and without restricting deployed resources to the subscription namespace, allowing deployment of cluster-scoped objects such as a `ClusterRoleBinding` that grants the attacker's ServiceAccount the `cluster-admin` ClusterRole. Red Hat said no mitigation meeting its product security criteria is currently available, and credited Christopher Lusk of North Echo Security Research with reporting the flaw.
Aug 14, 2026