GHSA-786q-9hcg-v9ff — critical GitHub Advisory (CVE-2025-55190) in go/github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2

Description

Summary

Argo CD API tokens with project-level permissions are able to retrieve sensitive repository credentials (usernames, passwords) through the project details API endpoint, even when the token only has standard application management permissions and no explicit access to secrets.

Component: Project API (/api/v1/projects/{project}/detailed)

Vulnerability Details

Expected Behavior

API tokens should require explicit permission to access sensitive credential information. Standard project permissions should not grant access to repository secrets.

Actual Behavior

API tokens with basic project permissions can retrieve all repository credentials associated with a project through the detailed project API endpoint.

Note: This vulnerability does not only affect project-level permissions. Any token with project get permissions is also vulnerable, including global permissions such as: p, role/user, projects, get, *, allow

Steps to Reproduce

Create an API token with the following project-level permissions:
p, proj:myProject:project-automation-role, applications, sync, myProject/*, allow p, proj:myProject:project-automation-role, applications, action/argoproj.io/Rollout/*, myProject/*, allow p, proj:myProject:project-automation-role, applications, get, myProject/*, allow
Call the project details API:
```
bashcurl -sH "Authorization: Bearer $ARGOCD_API_TOKEN" \
"https://argocd.example.com/api/v1/projects/myProject/detailed"

3. Observe that the response includes sensitive repository credentials:
{
"repositories": [
{
"username": "<REDACTED>",
"password": "<REDACTED>",
"type": "helm",
"name": "test-helm-repo",
"project": "myProject"
}
]
}
```

Patches

v3.1.2
v3.0.14
v2.14.16
v2.13.9

Credits to @ashishgoyal111 for helping identify this issue.

Basic information

Type: reviewed
Severity: critical
Advisory on GitHub: Open advisory ↗
Repository advisory: Open repository advisory ↗
Source code: Browse source ↗
Published (advisory): 2025-09-04 19:49:56 UTC
Updated: 2026-02-10 21:43:21 UTC
GitHub reviewed: 2025-09-04 19:49:56 UTC
NVD published: 2025-09-04

Score	Percentile
4.03%	88.50%

CVSS Scores

Base score	Version	Severity	Vector
10.0	3.1	—	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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:L) A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin. User interaction (UI:N) Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping. Scope (S:C) Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius. 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.

Identifiers

Type	Value
GHSA	GHSA-786q-9hcg-v9ff ↗
CVE	CVE-2025-55190 ↗

CWEs

CWE id	Name
CWE-200	Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

Credits

ntammineni5 (reporter)
34fathombelow (other)
alexmt (remediation_developer)
todaywasawesome (remediation_reviewer)
jannfis (coordinator)
crenshaw-dev (coordinator)
svghadi (coordinator)

Affected packages (4)

Vulnerable version ranges and first patched releases as published by GitHub.

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	First patched	Vulnerable functions
go	github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2	>= 2.13.0, < 2.13.9	2.13.9	—
go	github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2	>= 2.14.0, < 2.14.16	2.14.16	—
go	github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3	< 3.0.14	3.0.14	—
go	github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3	>= 3.1.0-rc1, < 3.1.2	3.1.2	—

Argo CD's Project API Token Exposes Repository Credentials