CRITICAL CVSS 9.9
Published: 2026-01-27

CVE-2026-22039

kyverno kyverno Security Advisory (CVE-2026-22039)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2026-22039 impacting kyverno kyverno. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 9.9 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Kyverno is a policy engine designed for cloud native platform engineering teams. Versions prior to 1.16.3 and 1.15.3 have a critical authorization boundary bypass in namespaced Kyverno Policy apiCall. The resolved `urlPath` is executed using the Kyverno admission controller ServiceAccount, with no enforcement that the request is limited to the policy’s namespace. As a result, any authenticated user with permission to create a namespaced Policy can cause Kyverno to perform Kubernetes API requests using Kyverno’s admission controller identity, targeting any API path allowed by that ServiceAccount’s RBAC. This breaks namespace isolation by enabling cross-namespace reads (for example, ConfigMaps and, where permitted, Secrets) and allows cluster-scoped or cross-namespace writes (for example, creating ClusterPolicies) by controlling the urlPath through context variable substitution. Versions 1.16.3 and 1.15.3 contain a patch for the vulnerability.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product kyverno / kyverno
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-269

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2026-22039 impacting kyverno kyverno.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2026-22039.yaml
id: cve-2026-22039

info:
  name: kyverno kyverno - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2026-22039 affecting kyverno kyverno.
    Evaluation: Kyverno is a policy engine designed for cloud native platform engineering teams. Versions prior to 1.16.3 and 1.15.3 have a critical authorization bou...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2026-22039
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.9
    cve-id: CVE-2026-22039
    cwe-id: CWE-269
  tags: cve,cve-2026-22039,kyverno,kyverno,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "kyverno"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2026-22039.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2026-22039
# Target: kyverno kyverno | CVSS: 9.9 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2026-22039 (kyverno kyverno)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against kyverno kyverno scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2026-22039.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2026-22039
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install kyverno 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade kyverno 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update kyverno

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i kyverno 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i kyverno

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2026-22039 in kyverno kyverno?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update kyverno kyverno packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2026-22039?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2026-22039?

CVE-2026-22039 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.9 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
9.9
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2026-22039
Weakness CWE-269
Vendor kyverno
Product kyverno
Published 2026-01-27
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H