CVE-2019-11253
Kubernetes API Server JSON/YAML parsing vulnerable to resource exhaustion attack
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- kubernetes
Description
Improper input validation in the Kubernetes API server in versions v1.0-1.12 and versions prior to v1.13.12, v1.14.8, v1.15.5, and v1.16.2 allows authorized users to send malicious YAML or JSON payloads, causing the API server to consume excessive CPU or memory, potentially crashing and becoming unavailable. Prior to v1.14.0, default RBAC policy authorized anonymous users to submit requests that could trigger this vulnerability. Clusters upgraded from a version prior to v1.14.0 keep the more permissive policy by default for backwards compatibility.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| kubernetesCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 25.9% · top 2.0% of all CVEs (5 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.5.
Weakness
Affected products
- affected prior to 1.13.12
- affected prior to 1.14.8
- affected prior to 1.15.5
- affected prior to 1.16.2
- affected 1.1
- affected 1.2
- affected 1.3
- affected 1.4
- affected 1.5
- affected 1.6
- affected 1.7
- affected 1.8
- affected 1.9
- affected 1.10
- affected 1.11
- affected 1.12
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- Gok8s.io/kubernetesGHSA-pmqp-h87c-mr78 (opens in a new tab)
What to do
Workaround: Exposure to requests from unauthenticated users can be mitigated by removing all write permissions from unauthenticated users, following instructions at https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/83253
References (6)
- https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/83253 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- CVE-2019-11253: denial of service vulnerability from malicious YAML or JSON payloads (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- RHSA-2019:3239 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20191031-0006/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- RHSA-2019:3811 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
- RHSA-2019:3905 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-pmqp-h87c-mr78 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2019-11253)Record last updated .