Directory Traversal Vulnerability in Ingress-Nginx by Kubernetes

CVE-2025-24513

What is CVE-2025-24513?

CVE-2025-24513 is a directory traversal vulnerability affecting the Ingress-Nginx component used in Kubernetes, which serves as a powerful tool for managing incoming network traffic to Kubernetes services. This vulnerability arises from improper handling of attacker-provided data, allowing potential exploitation that could compromise the security of containerized applications. Organizations utilizing Ingress-Nginx may face detrimental consequences if this vulnerability is not addressed, as attackers could leverage it to access sensitive data or disrupt service availability.

Technical Details

This vulnerability is tied to the Admission Controller feature of Ingress-Nginx, where malicious inputs can affect file names. When processed, this leads to unauthorized access to file paths outside of the intended directory structure, enabling directory traversal attacks. The consequences of this can range from exposing internal secrets to causing application failures, especially when exploited in conjunction with other security flaws.

Potential Impact of CVE-2025-24513

1. Denial of Service: Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can cause significant disruptions to services, resulting in downtime and degraded availability of applications within the Kubernetes cluster.

2. Exposure of Sensitive Information: This vulnerability can potentially allow unauthorized disclosure of confidential Secret objects stored within the cluster, leading to data leaks and further security compromises.

3. Increased Attack Surface: The existence of this vulnerability can not only serve as a gateway for immediate exploitation but also facilitate further attacks when used alongside other vulnerabilities, compounding the risks to organizational security.

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