CVE-2022-31016: Github.com/argoproj/argo cd Denial of Service Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jhqp-vf4w-rpwq
CVSS 6.5
CWE-400 CWE-770
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2022-31016 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) denial of service vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Github.com/argoproj/argo cd libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves dos through large manifest files in argo cd. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.16, 2.2.10, 2.3.5, 2.4.1.

CVE-2022-31016 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2022-31016
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jhqp-vf4w-rpwq
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Github.com/argoproj/argo cd
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2022-31016

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/argoproj/argo cd dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

github.com/argoproj/argo-cd fixed: 2.1.16
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd to 2.1.16
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 fixed: 2.1.16
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.1.16
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 fixed: 2.2.10
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.2.10
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 fixed: 2.3.5
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.3.5
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 fixed: 2.4.1
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.4.1
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

inspect dependencies for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2022-31016, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/argoproj/argo cd:

inspect dependencies for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/argoproj/argo cd in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.1.16), 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-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Github.com/argoproj/argo cd, 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

### Impact All versions of Argo CD starting with v0.7.0 are vulnerable to an uncontrolled memory consumption bug, allowing an authorized malicious user to crash the [repo-server](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/operator-manual/architecture/#repository-server) service. The repo-server is a critical component of Argo CD, so crashing the repo-server effectively denies core Argo CD services (such as syncing Application updates). To achieve denial of service, the attacker must be an authenticated Argo CD user authorized to deploy Applications from a repository which contains (or can be made to contain) a large file. ### Patches A patch for this vulnerability has been released in the following Argo CD versions: * v2.4.1 * v2.3.5 * v2.2.10 * v2.1.16 **The patch introduces a new `reposerver.max.combined.directory.manifests.size` config parameter, which you should tune before upgrading in production.** It caps the maximum total file size of .yaml/.yml/.json files in directory-type (raw manifest) Applications. The default max is `10M` per Application. This max is designed to keep any single app from consuming more than 3G of memory in the repo-server (manifests consume more space in memory than on disk). The 300x ratio assumes a maliciously-crafted manifest file. If you only want to protect against accidental excessive memory use, it is probably safe to use a smaller ratio. If your organization uses directory-type Applications with very many manifests or very large manifests then **check the size of those manifests and tune the config parameter before deploying this change to production**. When testing, make sure to do a "hard refresh" in either the CLI or UI to test your directory-type App. That will make sure you're using the new max logic instead of relying on cached manifest responses from Redis. ### Workarounds There is no workaround besides upgrading. To mitigate the issue, carefully limit 1) who can configure repos (determined by [RBAC](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/getting_started/)), 2) which repos are allowed (determined by [Project](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/user-guide/projects/) limitations), and 3) who has push access to those repos (determined by your SCM provider configuration). ### Credits Disclosed by ADA Logics in a security audit of the Argo project sponsored by CNCF and facilitated by OSTIF. Thanks to Adam Korczynski and David Korczynski for their work on the audit. ### For more information * Open an issue in [the Argo CD issue tracker](https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/issues) or [discussions](https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/discussions) * Join us on [Slack](https://argoproj.github.io/community/join-slack) in channel #argo-cd

CVE-2022-31016 Affected Github.com/argoproj/argo cd Versions

5 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.162.2.102.3.52.4.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd
Go
≥ 0.7.0
< 2.1.16
2.1.16
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2
Go
< 2.1.16
2.1.16
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2
Go
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.10
2.2.10
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2
Go
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.5
2.3.5
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2
Go
≥ 2.4.0
< 2.4.1
All 1 versions
2.4.0
2.4.1

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-31016?
CVE-2022-31016 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/argoproj/argo cd involving DoS through large manifest files in Argo CD under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Github.com/argoproj/argo cd versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.16, 2.2.10, 2.3.5, 2.4.1 across affected packages: github.com/argoproj/argo-cd, github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2.
What version fixes CVE-2022-31016?
Upgrading to 2.1.16, 2.2.10, 2.3.5, 2.4.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/argoproj/argo-cd affected?
Yes, github.com/argoproj/argo-cd is affected in releases prior to 2.1.16. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.16 or later.
Is github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 affected?
Yes, github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 is affected in releases prior to 2.1.16, 2.2.10, 2.3.5, 2.4.1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.16, 2.2.10, 2.3.5, 2.4.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2022-31016?
CVE-2022-31016 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2022-31016?
CVE-2022-31016 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2022-31016?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-jhqp-vf4w-rpwq",
  "modified" : "2022-06-21T22:51:05Z",
  "published" : "2022-06-21T22:51:05Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2022-31016" ],
  "summary" : "DoS through large manifest files in Argo CD",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nAll versions of Argo CD starting with v0.7.0 are vulnerable to an uncontrolled memory consumption bug, allowing an authorized malicious user to crash the [repo-server](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/operator-manual/architecture/#repository-server) service. The repo-server is a critical component of Argo CD, so crashing the repo-server effectively denies core Argo CD services (such as syncing Application updates).\n\nTo achieve denial of service, the attacker must be an authenticated Argo CD user authorized to deploy Applications from a repository which contains (or can be made to contain) a large file. \n\n### Patches\n\nA patch for this vulnerability has been released in the following Argo CD versions:\n\n* v2.4.1\n* v2.3.5\n* v2.2.10\n* v2.1.16\n\n**The patch introduces a new `reposerver.max.combined.directory.manifests.size` config parameter, which you should tune before upgrading in production.** It caps the maximum total file size of .yaml/.yml/.json files in directory-type (raw manifest) Applications. The default max is `10M` per Application. This max is designed to keep any single app from consuming more than 3G of memory in the repo-server (manifests consume more space in memory than on disk). The 300x ratio assumes a maliciously-crafted manifest file. If you only want to protect against accidental excessive memory use, it is probably safe to use a smaller ratio.\n\nIf your organization uses directory-type Applications with very many manifests or very large manifests then **check the size of those manifests and tune the config parameter before deploying this change to production**. When testing, make sure to do a \"hard refresh\" in either the CLI or UI to test your directory-type App. That will make sure you're using the new max logic instead of relying on cached manifest responses from Redis.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nThere is no workaround besides upgrading.\n\nTo mitigate the issue, carefully limit 1) who can configure repos (determined by [RBAC](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/getting_started/)), 2) which repos are allowed (determined by [Project](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/user-guide/projects/) limitations), and 3) who has push access to those repos (determined by your SCM provider configuration).\n\n### Credits\n\nDisclosed by ADA Logics in a security audit of the Argo project sponsored by CNCF and facilitated by OSTIF. Thanks to Adam Korczynski and David Korczynski for their work on the audit.\n\n### For more information\n\n* Open an issue in [the Argo CD issue tracker](https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/issues) or [discussions](https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/discussions)\n* Join us on [Slack](https://argoproj.github.io/community/join-slack) in channel #argo-cd\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0.7.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.16"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.8.7"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.16"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.2.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.10"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.3.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.3.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.4.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.4.1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "versions" : [ "2.4.0" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/security/advisories/GHSA-jhqp-vf4w-rpwq"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-31016"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400", "CWE-770" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-06-21T22:51:05Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-06-25T08:15:00Z"
  }
}