Kubernetes API Server denial of service vulnerability from malicious YAML payloads
Published Apr 1, 2020
6.5
MEDIUMCVSS 3.1
EPSS 3.16%
Description
The Kubernetes API Server component in versions 1.1-1.14, and versions prior to 1.15.10, 1.16.7 and 1.17.3 allows an authorized user who sends malicious YAML payloads to cause the kube-apiserver to consume excessive CPU cycles while parsing YAML.
Affected products
-
- Version 1.1StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.10StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.11StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.12StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.13StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.14StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.2StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.3StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.4StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.5StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.6StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.7StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.8StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 1.9StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version prior to 1.15.10StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version prior to 1.16.7StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version prior to 1.17.3StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kubernetes | Kubernetes | n/a |
|
- < 1.15.10
- ≥ 1.16.0 · < 1.16.7
- ≥ 1.17.0 · < 1.17.3
No data.
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 3.11
atomic-openshift-0:3.11.232-1.git.0.a5bc32f.el7
Fixed · RHSA-2020:2479
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.3
openshift4/ose-openshift-apiserver-rhel7:v4.3.9-202003230345
Fixed · RHSA-2020:0933
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.5
openshift-0:4.5.0-202007012112.p0.git.0.582d7fc.el7
Fixed · RHSA-2020:2413
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.5
openshift4/ose-hyperkube:v4.5.0-202007100518.p0
Fixed · RHSA-2020:2412
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.5
openshift4/ose-oauth-server-rhel7:v4.5.0-202007012112.p0
Fixed · RHSA-2020:2412
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
openshift4/ose-hypershift
Will not fix
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
openshift4/ose-k8s-prometheus-adapter
Not affected
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
openshift4/ose-oauth-server-rhel8
Affected
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
openshift4/ose-openshift-state-metrics-rhel9
Not affected
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
openshift4/ose-service-catalog
Will not fix
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 3.11 | atomic-openshift-0:3.11.232-1.git.0.a5bc32f.el7 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:2479 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.3 | openshift4/ose-openshift-apiserver-rhel7:v4.3.9-202003230345 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:0933 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.5 | openshift-0:4.5.0-202007012112.p0.git.0.582d7fc.el7 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:2413 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.5 | openshift4/ose-hyperkube:v4.5.0-202007100518.p0 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:2412 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.5 | openshift4/ose-oauth-server-rhel7:v4.5.0-202007012112.p0 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:2412 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | openshift4/ose-hypershift | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | openshift4/ose-k8s-prometheus-adapter | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | openshift4/ose-oauth-server-rhel8 | Affected | n/a |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | openshift4/ose-openshift-state-metrics-rhel9 | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | openshift4/ose-service-catalog | Will not fix | n/a |
gopkg.in/yaml.v2
Go
Introduced 0 Fixed 2.2.8github.com/go-yaml/yaml
Go
Introduced 0 Fixed not fixed
| Ecosystem | Package | Introduced | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go | gopkg.in/yaml.v2 | 0 | 2.2.8 |
| Go | github.com/go-yaml/yaml | 0 | not fixed |
Remediation
Red Hat statement
The upstream Kubernetes fix for this vulnerability is to update the version of the Go dependency, gopkg.in/yaml.v2. This issue affects OpenShift Container Platform components that use versions before 2.2.8 of gopkg.in/yaml.v2 and accept YAML payloads.
Red Hat mitigation
Prevent unauthenticated or unauthorized access to the API server
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 3, 2026.
Score over time
2021-2026- EPSS v1
- EPSS v5
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
Percentile over time
- EPSS v1
- EPSS v5
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
Table of values (12 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed. Showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | 3.16% (0.03157) | 87.54th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 2.34% (0.02341) | 81.35th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jul 20, 2024 | 0.10% (0.00104) | 43.14th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Sep 5, 2023 | 0.10% (0.00104) | 41.91th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.10% (0.00101) | 39.84th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 0.89% (0.00890) | 30.33th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 0.89% (0.00890) | 26.62th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 5.37% (0.05372) | 76.24th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 3.63% (0.03630) | 71.73th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 3.63% (0.03630) | 71.48th | v1 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | 0.83% (0.00833) | 57.50th | v1 |
| Apr 14, 2021 | 0.83% (0.00833) | 0.00th | v1 |
References (14)
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2019-11254 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=18496
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1819486 Issue Tracking
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-wxc4-f4m6-wwqv Advisory
- https://github.com/go-yaml/yaml/commit/53403b58ad1b561927d19068c655246f2db79d48
- https://github.com/go-yaml/yaml/pull/555
- https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/89535 x_refsource_MISCThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/87467/commits/b86df2bec4f377afc0ca03482ffad2f0a49a83b8
- https://groups.google.com/d/msg/kubernetes-announce/ALL9s73E5ck/4yHe8J-PBAAJ x_refsource_MISCThird Party Advisory
- https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/kubernetes-security-announce/wuwEwZigXBc
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11254
- https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2020-0036
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200413-0003/ x_refsource_CONFIRMThird Party Advisory
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-11254
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.