CVE-2026-42876: Github.com/external secrets/external secrets/apis ExternalSecrets Vulnerable To Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2026-42876 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.9) externalsecrets vulnerable to privilege escalation vulnerability (CWE-285: Improper Authorization) affecting Github.com/external secrets/external secrets/apis libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves externalsecrets vulnerable to privilege escalation with secret overwriting. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.4.1.
CVE-2026-42876 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 4.9
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2026-42876
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/external secrets/external secrets/apis dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
Upgrade github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/apis to 2.4.1Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
inspect dependencies for github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/apisHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-42876, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/external secrets/external secrets/apis:
inspect dependencies for github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/apisAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/external secrets/external secrets/apis in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.4.1), your application is affected.
Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-285: Improper Authorization, where the product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. In Github.com/external secrets/external secrets/apis, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.
Source Advisory Statement
CVE-2026-42876 Affected Github.com/external secrets/external secrets/apis Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/apis
|
Go |
≥ 0.1.0
< 2.4.1
|
2.4.1
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-42876?
Which Github.com/external secrets/external secrets/apis versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-42876?
Is github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/apis affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-42876?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-42876?
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-42876?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-fq7h-9x26-6j22",
"modified" : "2026-05-13T14:19:10Z",
"published" : "2026-05-08T17:24:15Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-42876" ],
"summary" : "ExternalSecrets vulnerable to privilege escalation with secret overwriting",
"details" : "ExternalSecrets allows users to craft Service Account tokens for misconfigured Service Accounts in namespaces the users have access to.\n\n### Impact\n\nA user who only has permission to create ExternalSecret resources can cause the operator to create a Secret that Kubernetes will automatically populate with a long-lived token for the sepcified service account. This effectively allows the user to impersonate any service account in the namespace without needing direct create permissions on TokenRequest or Secrets of that type.\n\nThe problem is mitigated in severity by the fact that the user must have pre-existing permissions already at almost the same level as the escalation later gives. The attacker cannot use this method to gain access to more information without other things also being misconfigured in the ESO installation.\n\n### Patches\n\nDisallow this combination including the bootstrap token secret type.\n\n### Workarounds\n\n* Add admission control logic to prevent the use of Templates targeting undesired Types\n* Remove Service Account Token generation via kube-controller-manager flags\n* Restrict User RBAC on production clusters and sensitive namespaces",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/apis"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0.1.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2.4.1"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/security/advisories/GHSA-fq7h-9x26-6j22"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42876"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/commit/4ddd240af7fe88725d9857b9a0c198073502e288"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/releases/tag/v2.4.1"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-285" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-05-08T17:24:15Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-11T20:25:44Z"
}
}