CVE-2025-23216 in argo-cd
Summary
by MITRE • 01/30/2025
Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. A vulnerability was discovered in Argo CD that exposed secret values in error messages and the diff view when an invalid Kubernetes Secret resource was synced from a repository. The vulnerability assumes the user has write access to the repository and can exploit it, either intentionally or unintentionally, by committing an invalid Secret to repository and triggering a Sync. Once exploited, any user with read access to Argo CD can view the exposed secret data. The vulnerability is fixed in v2.13.4, v2.12.10, and v2.11.13.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-23216 affects Argo CD, a widely used declarative GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes environments. This security flaw represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that undermines the fundamental security principles of secret management within Kubernetes clusters. The issue manifests when Argo CD processes invalid Kubernetes Secret resources that are synced from a repository, creating a scenario where sensitive credential data becomes exposed through error messaging and diff view interfaces. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages a common operational workflow where users commit configuration changes to repositories, making it exploitable through legitimate repository write access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and error handling within Argo CD's resource synchronization process. When an invalid Kubernetes Secret resource is committed to a repository and subsequently synced, the system fails to properly sanitize error messages and diff outputs that contain secret values. This occurs because the synchronization mechanism does not adequately filter or redact sensitive information before presenting it to users through the Argo CD web interface. The flaw specifically affects the error message generation and diff view components of the platform, where secret data becomes inadvertently exposed in plain text format. This behavior aligns with CWE-200, which describes improper exposure of sensitive information, and represents a classic case of information leakage through application error handling.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-23216 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a persistent security risk for organizations relying on Argo CD for their GitOps workflows. Any user with read access to the Argo CD interface can potentially view exposed secret data, which could include API keys, database credentials, container registry tokens, and other sensitive authentication materials. This vulnerability effectively undermines the security boundaries of Kubernetes clusters by allowing unauthorized access to credential information that should remain protected. The risk is exacerbated by the fact that the exploit requires only repository write access, which many development teams have as part of their normal workflow. Attackers can exploit this by intentionally committing malformed secret resources or by accidentally introducing invalid configurations that trigger the vulnerability during normal sync operations.
Organizations using Argo CD must implement immediate mitigations to protect their environments from potential exploitation of this vulnerability. The most critical remediation involves upgrading to the fixed versions v2.13.4, v2.12.10, or v2.11.13, which contain the necessary patches to prevent secret exposure in error messages and diff views. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of their Argo CD configurations to identify any existing exposure of sensitive data through the interface. The implementation of proper access controls and monitoring for repository write activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as regular secret rotation and the use of secret management solutions that provide better protection against information leakage. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure error handling practices and demonstrates how seemingly benign operational workflows can create significant security risks when proper input validation is not implemented. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a credential access technique through information disclosure, emphasizing the need for robust application security controls in DevOps environments.