HIGH CVSS 7.7
Published: 2026-04-24

CVE-2026-41485

kyverno kyverno Security Advisory (CVE-2026-41485)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2026-41485 impacting kyverno kyverno. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.7 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Kyverno is a policy engine designed for cloud native platform engineering teams. Prior to versions 1.17.2 and 1.16.4, an unchecked type assertion in the `forEach` mutation handler allows any user with permission to create a `Policy` or `ClusterPolicy` to crash the cluster-wide background controller into a persistent CrashLoopBackOff. The same bug also causes the admission controller to drop connections and block all matching resource operations. The crash loop persists until the policy is deleted. The vulnerability is confined to the legacy engine, and CEL-based policies are unaffected. Versions 1.17.2 and 1.16.4 fix the issue.

📊 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
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product kyverno / kyverno
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-617

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-2026-41485 impacting kyverno kyverno.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2026-41485.yaml
id: cve-2026-41485

info:
  name: kyverno kyverno - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2026-41485 affecting kyverno kyverno.
    Evaluation: Kyverno is a policy engine designed for cloud native platform engineering teams. Prior to versions 1.17.2 and 1.16.4, an unchecked type assertion in t...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2026-41485
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.7
    cve-id: CVE-2026-41485
    cwe-id: CWE-617
  tags: cve,cve-2026-41485,kyverno,kyverno,high

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-2026-41485.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2026-41485
# Target: kyverno kyverno | CVSS: 7.7 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2026-41485 (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-2026-41485.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2026-41485
# 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-2026-41485 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-2026-41485?

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-2026-41485?

CVE-2026-41485 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.7 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.7
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2026-41485
Weakness CWE-617
Vendor kyverno
Product kyverno
Published 2026-04-24
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H