CVE-2025-30163: Github.com/cilium/cilium Cilium Node Based Network Policies Vulnerability

LOW
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-c6pf-2v8j-96mc
CVSS 3.4
CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-30163 is a LOW (CVSS 3.4) cilium node based network policies vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting Github.com/cilium/cilium libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves cilium node based network policies may incorrectly allow workload traffic. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.16.8, 1.17.2.

CVE-2025-30163 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-30163
GHSA Identifier GHSA-c6pf-2v8j-96mc
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 3.4
CWE Classification CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
Affected Product Github.com/cilium/cilium
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 3.4

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2025-30163

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/cilium/cilium 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/cilium/cilium fixed: 1.16.8
Upgrade github.com/cilium/cilium to 1.16.8
github.com/cilium/cilium fixed: 1.17.2
Upgrade github.com/cilium/cilium to 1.17.2
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/cilium/cilium

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2025-30163, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/cilium/cilium:

inspect dependencies for github.com/cilium/cilium

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/cilium/cilium in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.16.8), 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-863: Incorrect Authorization, where the product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check. In Github.com/cilium/cilium, 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 [Node based network policies](https://docs.cilium.io/en/stable/security/policy/language/#node-based) (`fromNodes` and `toNodes`) will incorrectly permit traffic to/from non-node endpoints that share the labels specified in `fromNodes` and `toNodes` sections of network policies. Node based network policy is disabled by default in Cilium. ### Patches This issue was fixed by https://github.com/cilium/cilium/pull/36657. This issue affects: - Cilium v1.16 between v1.16.0 and v1.16.7 inclusive - Cilium v1.17 between v1.17.0 and v1.17.1 inclusive This issue is fixed in: - Cilium v1.16.8 - Cilium v1.17.2 ### Workarounds Users can work around this issue by ensuring that the labels used in `fromNodes` and `toNodes` fields are used exclusively by nodes and not by other endpoints. ### Acknowledgements The Cilium community has worked together with members of Isovalent to prepare these mitigations. Special thanks to @oblazek for reporting and fixing this issue. ### For more information If you think you have found a vulnerability affecting Cilium, we strongly encourage you to report it to our security mailing list at [security@cilium.io](mailto:security@cilium.io). This is a private mailing list for the Cilium security team, and your report will be treated as top priority. Please also address any comments or questions on this advisory to the same mailing list.

CVE-2025-30163 Affected Github.com/cilium/cilium Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.16.81.17.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/cilium/cilium
Go
≥ 1.16.0
< 1.16.8
1.16.8
github.com/cilium/cilium
Go
≥ 1.17.0
< 1.17.2
1.17.2

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-30163?
CVE-2025-30163 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/cilium/cilium involving Cilium node based network policies may incorrectly allow workload traffic under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which Github.com/cilium/cilium versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.16.8, 1.17.2 across affected packages: github.com/cilium/cilium.
What version fixes CVE-2025-30163?
Upgrading to 1.16.8, 1.17.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/cilium/cilium affected?
Yes, github.com/cilium/cilium is affected in releases prior to 1.16.8, 1.17.2. Upgrade your dependency to 1.16.8, 1.17.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-30163?
CVE-2025-30163 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.4 (LOW) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-30163?
CVE-2025-30163 is classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization (The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2025-30163?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/cilium/cilium'. 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-c6pf-2v8j-96mc",
  "modified" : "2026-07-02T20:20:36Z",
  "published" : "2025-03-24T19:36:21Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-30163" ],
  "summary" : "Cilium node based network policies may incorrectly allow workload traffic",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\n[Node based network policies](https://docs.cilium.io/en/stable/security/policy/language/#node-based) (`fromNodes` and `toNodes`) will incorrectly permit traffic to/from non-node endpoints that share the labels specified in `fromNodes` and `toNodes` sections of network policies. Node based network policy is disabled by default in Cilium.\n\n### Patches\n\nThis issue was fixed by https://github.com/cilium/cilium/pull/36657.\n\nThis issue affects:\n\n- Cilium v1.16 between v1.16.0 and v1.16.7 inclusive\n- Cilium v1.17 between v1.17.0 and v1.17.1 inclusive\n\nThis issue is fixed in:\n\n- Cilium v1.16.8\n- Cilium v1.17.2\n\n### Workarounds\n\nUsers can work around this issue by ensuring that the labels used in `fromNodes` and `toNodes` fields are used exclusively by nodes and not by other endpoints.\n\n### Acknowledgements\n\nThe Cilium community has worked together with members of Isovalent to prepare these mitigations. Special thanks to @oblazek  for reporting and fixing this issue.\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you think you have found a vulnerability affecting Cilium, we strongly encourage you to report it to our security mailing list at [security@cilium.io](mailto:security@cilium.io). This is a private mailing list for the Cilium security team, and your report will be treated as top priority. Please also address any comments or questions on this advisory to the same mailing list.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/cilium/cilium"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.16.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.16.8"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/cilium/cilium"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.17.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.17.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cilium/cilium/security/advisories/GHSA-c6pf-2v8j-96mc"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-30163"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cilium/cilium/pull/36657"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://docs.cilium.io/en/stable/security/policy/language/#node-based"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cilium/cilium"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-03-24T19:36:21Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-03-24T19:15:52Z"
  }
}