cert-manager-controller DoS via Specially Crafted DNS Response (cert-manager cert-manager)
At a glance
- Source
- NVD
- EPSS
- EPSS 0.38 % · percentile 31 ()
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Published
- Updated
- Assigner
- GitHub_M
- NVD status
- Analyzed
Description
cert-manager adds certificates and certificate issuers as resource types in Kubernetes clusters, and simplifies the process of obtaining, renewing and using those certificates. In versions from 1.18.0 to before 1.18.5 and from 1.19.0 to before 1.19.3, the cert-manager-controller performs DNS lookups during ACME DNS-01 processing (for zone discovery and propagation self-checks). By default, these lookups use standard unencrypted DNS. An attacker who can intercept and modify DNS traffic from the cert-manager-controller pod can insert a crafted entry into cert-manager's DNS cache. Accessing this entry will trigger a panic, resulting in denial‑of‑service (DoS) of the cert-manager controller. The issue can also be exploited if the authoritative DNS server for the domain being validated is controlled by a malicious actor. This issue has been patched in versions 1.18.5 and 1.19.3.
Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/security/advisories/GHSA-gx3x-vq4p-mhhv
- https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/8467
- https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/8468
- https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/8469
- https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/commit/409fc24e539711a07aae45ed45abbe03dfdad2cc
- https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/commit/9a73a0b3853035827edd37ac463e4803ba10327d
- https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/commit/d4faed26ae12115cceb807cdc12507ebc28980e2
Scores
| Version | Score | Vector | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM 5.9 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H | GitHub_M |
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM 5.9 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H | NVD · security-advisories@github.com (Secondary) |
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM 5.9 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H | NVD · nvd@nist.gov (Primary) |
Advisories
- GHSA-gx3x-vq4p-mhhv — cert-manager-controller DoS via Specially Crafted DNS Response
- GO-2026-4399 — DoS in cert-manager-controller via Specially Crafted DNS Response in github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager
European references
- ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-5341
- GCVE · GCVE-0-2026-25518
CERT-FR advisories
- CERTFR-2026-AVI-0322 — Multiples vulnérabilités dans les produits VMware · cert.ssi.gouv.fr
Affected configurations (NVD CPE)
cpe:2.3:a:cert-manager:cert-manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*≥ 1.18.0 < 1.18.5cpe:2.3:a:cert-manager:cert-manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*≥ 1.19.0 < 1.19.3
Affected products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| cert-manager · cert-manager | affected >= 1.18.0, < 1.18.5 ; affected >= 1.19.0, < 1.19.3 |
Sources
| Source | Licence |
|---|---|
| CVE List (CVEProject cvelistV5) | CVE Program Terms of Use |
| EPSS (FIRST.org) | FIRST — attribution requested |
| ENISA EUVD | ENISA — reproduction authorised, source acknowledged |
| CERT-FR (ANSSI) | Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0 |
| NVD (NIST) via fkie-cad/nvd-json-data-feeds | Public domain — this product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD |