CVE-2019-11253: K8s.io/kubernetes XML Entity Expansion And Improper Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2019-11253 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) xml entity expansion and improper vulnerability (CWE-776: Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion')) affecting K8s.io/kubernetes libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves xml entity expansion and improper input validation in kubernetes api server. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.13.12, 1.14.8, 1.15.5, 1.16.2.
CVE-2019-11253 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 7.5
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).
How to Fix CVE-2019-11253
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected K8s.io/kubernetes 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 k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.13.12Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.14.8Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.15.5Upgrade k8s.io/kubernetes to 1.16.2Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
inspect dependencies for k8s.io/kubernetesHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2019-11253, inspect your project dependencies for K8s.io/kubernetes:
inspect dependencies for k8s.io/kubernetesAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of K8s.io/kubernetes in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.13.12), 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-776: Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion'), where the product uses xml documents and allows their structure to be defined with a document type definition (dtd), but it does not properly control the number of recursive definitions of entities. In K8s.io/kubernetes, 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-2019-11253 Affected K8s.io/kubernetes Versions
4 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
k8s.io/kubernetes
|
Go |
≥ 1.0.0
< 1.13.12
|
1.13.12
|
|
k8s.io/kubernetes
|
Go |
≥ 1.14.0
< 1.14.8
|
1.14.8
|
|
k8s.io/kubernetes
|
Go |
≥ 1.15.0
< 1.15.5
|
1.15.5
|
|
k8s.io/kubernetes
|
Go |
≥ 1.16.0
< 1.16.2
|
1.16.2
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2019-11253?
Which K8s.io/kubernetes versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2019-11253?
Is k8s.io/kubernetes affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-11253?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-11253?
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2019-11253?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-pmqp-h87c-mr78",
"modified" : "2026-02-27T20:08:47Z",
"published" : "2021-05-18T15:38:48Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-11253" ],
"summary" : "XML Entity Expansion and Improper Input Validation in Kubernetes API server",
"details" : "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.\n\n### Specific Go Packages Affected\nk8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apiserver",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "k8s.io/kubernetes"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "1.0.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "1.13.12"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "k8s.io/kubernetes"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "1.14.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "1.14.8"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "k8s.io/kubernetes"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "1.15.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "1.15.5"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "k8s.io/kubernetes"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "1.16.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "1.16.2"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11253"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/83253"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/83261"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:3239"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:3811"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:3905"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://gist.github.com/bgeesaman/0e0349e94cd22c48bf14d8a9b7d6b8f2"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/kubernetes-security-announce/jk8polzSUxs"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2022-0703"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20191031-0006"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20", "CWE-776" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2021-05-17T21:06:33Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2019-10-17T16:15:10Z"
}
}