CVE-2026-62182 in KubeEdge
Summary
by MITRE • 09/21/2026
KubeEdge is an open source system for extending native containerized application orchestration capabilities to hosts at Edge. From 1.21.0 until 1.21.2, 1.22.2, and 1.23.1, ConfigUpdateJob processing in edge/pkg/taskmanager/actions/configupdatejob.go concatenates authenticated user-controlled updateFields values into the keadm config-update command and executes it through a system shell. A user with permission to create or modify ConfigUpdateJob resources can include shell metacharacters in the complete --set value and cause arbitrary commands to execute on an enrolled target edge node with the privileges of the KubeEdge process handling the job. This issue is fixed in versions 1.21.2, 1.22.2, and 1.23.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2026
The vulnerability identified involves a critical command injection flaw within the KubeEdge orchestration system, specifically affecting edge node management components between version 1.20.x through 1.21.1, as well as versions 1.22.0 to 1.22.1 and 1.23.0 prior to their respective patch releases of 1.21.2, 1.22.2, and 1.23.1. KubeEdge extends native Kubernetes containerized application orchestration capabilities to edge devices, allowing for decentralized computing in low-bandwidth or disconnected environments. The core technical flaw resides in the ConfigUpdateJob processing logic located within the file edge/pkg/taskmanager/actions/configupdatejob.go. This component is responsible for handling configuration updates pushed from the cloud side to the edge nodes. When a user with appropriate permissions creates or modifies a ConfigUpdateJob resource, they can supply values for updateFields that are directly concatenated into the arguments of the keadm config-update command.
This concatenation occurs without adequate sanitization or validation of shell metacharacters, creating a classic Command Injection vulnerability classified under CWE-78 in the Common Weakness Enumeration standard. Because the resulting command string is executed through a system shell rather than via direct programmatic execution with an argument array, any special characters such as semicolons, pipes, or backticks included by an attacker are interpreted by the shell interpreter. This allows for arbitrary command execution on the enrolled target edge node. The severity of this issue is compounded by the fact that it requires only permission to create or modify ConfigUpdateJob resources, which may be granted to less privileged users in certain cluster configurations, rather than requiring full administrative control over the entire Kubernetes API server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as successful exploitation results in arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the KubeEdge process running on the edge node. In many deployments, these processes run with elevated system permissions to manage hardware interfaces and network configurations. An attacker could leverage this access to exfiltrate sensitive data from the edge device, install persistent backdoors, pivot into other parts of the internal network, or disrupt critical industrial control systems if KubeEdge is deployed in an OT environment. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically shell command injection, which allows adversaries to execute commands directly on compromised endpoints. The lack of input validation represents a significant deviation from secure coding practices recommended for handling user-supplied data that interacts with operating system shells.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve upgrading the KubeEdge installation to patched versions 1.21.2, 1.22.2, or 1.23.1 and later, where this concatenation issue has been resolved through proper argument handling or input sanitization. For environments that cannot immediately upgrade, administrators should enforce strict Role-Based Access Control policies to limit who can create or modify ConfigUpdateJob resources. Additionally, implementing network segmentation between the cloud control plane and edge nodes can reduce the blast radius if an attacker gains initial access via other vectors. Security teams should also audit existing configurations for any instances where user-controlled data is passed directly into shell commands within custom controllers or extensions integrated with KubeEdge to ensure similar vulnerabilities do not exist in adjacent components.