CVE-2023-22480 | KubeOperator is vulnerable to unauthorized access to system API

KubeOperator is an open source Kubernetes distribution focused on helping enterprises plan, deploy and operate production-level K8s clusters. In KubeOperator versions 3.16.3 and below, API interfaces with unauthorized entities and can leak sensitive information. This vulnerability could be used to take over the cluster under certain conditions. This issue has been patched in version 3.16.4.

Published: 2023-01-13 Last update: 2026-06-17 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2023-22480 is rated Moderate Risk (58.9/100): CVSS High severity, with high exploitation likelihood (EPSS 66.77%, 99th percentile). Core evidence: EPSS ranks this CVE among the most likely to be exploited in the near term. Mandatory action: High exploitation likelihood—assess exposure and prioritize remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2023-22480

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 75.59% 66.77% -8.82%
2 2026-01-15 75.77% 75.59% -0.17%
3 2026-01-11 75.77%

Full EPSS history (45 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-22480

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.3 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:L)
Some sensitive info could get out, but not a total data dump.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
3.9 3.4 [email protected]
9.8 3.1 CRITICAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
3.9 5.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-22480

GitHub Security Advisory for CVE-2023-22480

GHSA-jxgp-jgh3-8jc8 · Severity: high · Ecosystem: go — KubeOperator allows unauthorized access to system API

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-22480

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
fit2cloud kubeoperator < 3.16.4 cpe:2.3:a:fit2cloud:kubeoperator:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-22480

cvelogic Threat Intelligence