CVE-2026-71470
Description
A flaw was found in the search-v2-operator. This vulnerability allows a privileged user, specifically a Custom Resource (CR) editor, to manipulate Search CR fields such as imageOverride, arguments, and environment variables without proper validation. By exploiting this, an attacker can mount arbitrary secrets into a search container's environment or replace the container image with an attacker-controlled one. This leads to privilege escalation and can result in a full cluster compromise due to the ServiceAccount's extensive impersonation permissions.
Statement
This is an Important vulnerability in Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes. The search-v2-operator allows a privileged attacker with Search CR edit permissions (PR:H) to inject arbitrary container images or mount sensitive secrets into pods, which can lead to a full cluster compromise due to the associated ServiceAccount's cluster-wide impersonation capabilities. Exploitation requires an already-privileged CR editor, which is why this does not meet the bar for Critical under the unauthenticated-RCE standard.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, restrict permissions for creating and modifying Search Custom Resources (CRs) to only trusted and authorized users. Implement Kubernetes Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) policies to limit who can perform `create`, `update`, and `patch` operations on `search.search.open-cluster-management.io` resources. This reduces the attack surface by preventing unauthorized users from exploiting the unsanitized input flow.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 9.1 | N/A | 9.1 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | High | N/A | High |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Changed | N/A | Changed |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Other,Integrity
Technical Impact: Varies by Context; Alter Execution Logic
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