CVE-2023-6571 in kubeflow
Summary
by MITRE • 12/14/2023
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Reflected in kubeflow/kubeflow
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2026
The vulnerability identified as a reflected Cross-Site Scripting flaw within the Kubeflow platform represents a significant security risk to users interacting with its web-based user interface. Kubeflow is an open-source machine learning toolkit designed for Kubernetes, providing tools to deploy, monitor, and manage ML workflows. The specific weakness lies in how the application processes input data provided by end-users through HTTP requests without adequate sanitization or validation before rendering it back into the browser context. This architectural oversight allows malicious actors to inject client-side scripts that are executed directly within the victim's web session, bypassing standard security controls such as the same-origin policy which normally restricts how a document or script loaded from one origin can interact with resources from another origin.
From a technical perspective, this reflected XSS vulnerability typically manifests when user-supplied input is embedded into HTML responses without proper encoding of special characters that have meaning in JavaScript contexts. When an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing injected payload code and tricks a victim into clicking it or submitting data through the interface, the server reflects the unvalidated input back to the browser. The browser then interprets this content as executable script rather than plain text. This execution environment grants the injected scripts full access to the session cookies, local storage, and other sensitive data associated with the Kubeflow dashboard for that specific user session. Because the vulnerability is reflected, it requires social engineering or a targeted attack vector to trigger, but once triggered, it can lead to immediate compromise of the authenticated user's context within the platform.
The operational impact of this flaw extends beyond simple defacement or nuisance alerts. An attacker leveraging this vulnerability can perform actions on behalf of the victim, such as modifying ML pipeline configurations, accessing sensitive datasets stored or referenced by Kubeflow components, or stealing authentication tokens and session cookies. In a multi-tenant Kubernetes environment where Kubeflow is often deployed, compromising one user's session could potentially lead to lateral movement if privilege escalation vectors exist within the broader cluster configuration. Furthermore, attackers can use this vector to redirect users to phishing sites that mimic legitimate Kubeflow login pages, thereby harvesting credentials for further exploitation of the infrastructure. The trust relationship between the administrator and the platform is fundamentally undermined when user input cannot be safely rendered without risking code execution.
Industry standards classify this vulnerability under CWE-79, which defines Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation commonly known as Cross-site Scripting. This classification highlights the failure to neutralize special characters that could alter the intended behavior of web pages or scripts. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this activity aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059, specifically sub-techniques involving JavaScript execution within a browser environment. The reflection aspect places it in the context of initial access vectors where user interaction is required to trigger the payload delivery and subsequent code execution phase.
Mitigation strategies must focus on rigorous input validation and output encoding practices at both the application layer and infrastructure level. Developers should implement strict allow-listing for all user inputs, ensuring that only expected data formats are accepted while rejecting or sanitizing any unexpected characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and ampersands. Output encoding is critical; content rendered in HTML contexts must be encoded to prevent interpretation as script code. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide a robust defense-in-depth layer by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed within the browser environment. For immediate protection while patches are deployed, network-level controls such as Web Application Firewalls should be configured to detect and block common XSS payload patterns in HTTP requests directed at Kubeflow endpoints. Regular security audits and static code analysis tools integrated into the CI/CD pipeline for Kubeflow extensions can help identify similar vulnerabilities before they reach production environments.