CVE-2024-47827 in argo-workflows
Summary
by MITRE • 10/28/2024
Argo Workflows is an open source container-native workflow engine for orchestrating parallel jobs on Kubernetes. Due to a race condition in a global variable in 3.6.0-rc1, the argo workflows controller can be made to crash on-command by any user with access to execute a workflow. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.6.0-rc2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-47827 affects Argo Workflows version 3.6.0-rc1, a widely used container-native workflow engine designed to orchestrate parallel jobs within Kubernetes environments. This open source solution enables organizations to automate complex workflows through containerized tasks, making it a critical component in modern cloud-native architectures. The vulnerability stems from a race condition inherent in the controller's implementation, specifically involving a global variable that lacks proper synchronization mechanisms. This flaw creates a potential denial-of-service scenario where unauthorized users can deliberately crash the workflow controller through legitimate workflow execution requests, undermining the system's stability and availability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a race condition in the global variable handling within the Argo Workflows controller component. A race condition occurs when multiple threads or processes access shared data concurrently, leading to unpredictable behavior when the order of execution affects the outcome. In this case, the global variable in question likely stores state information or configuration parameters that are modified during workflow processing. When concurrent workflow executions attempt to access or modify this shared variable simultaneously, the controller becomes vulnerable to crashes that can be triggered by any user possessing workflow execution permissions. This represents a classic race condition scenario classified under CWE-362, which specifically addresses concurrent execution issues where improper synchronization leads to system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it fundamentally compromises the reliability of Argo Workflows deployments. Any user with sufficient privileges to execute workflows can exploit this weakness to cause controller crashes, potentially leading to workflow execution failures, data loss, and extended downtime for critical automation processes. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require elevated privileges beyond workflow execution access, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant environments where different users may have varying levels of access. This weakness directly impacts the availability and integrity of workflow orchestration services, which are essential for continuous integration and deployment pipelines, batch processing jobs, and other automated operations that organizations depend upon for business continuity.
Organizations utilizing Argo Workflows version 3.6.0-rc1 should immediately implement mitigations to protect their environments from exploitation. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to version 3.6.0-rc2, which contains the necessary patches to resolve the race condition. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing access controls that limit workflow execution privileges to trusted users only, while monitoring for unusual workflow execution patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation. From a defensive perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network disruption through resource exhaustion or service interruption, and represents a specific implementation weakness that organizations should address through proper patch management protocols. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of thorough testing for race conditions in concurrent systems, particularly in distributed environments where multiple processes interact with shared resources. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of their Argo Workflows deployments to ensure proper patching and implementation of additional monitoring controls that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts.