major vulnerability· requires attention

Allows cluster takeover of Kubernetes via a popular policy engine (Kyverno); high-impact on cloud-native infrastructure and many orgs running Kubernetes.

Cloud

CVE-2026-122311

9.4

Critical

EPSS n/aPatch available

Path traversal in Kyverno lets namespaced policies escape and enables cluster takeover.

exploited

No known exploitation not in CISA KEV as of our last sync

fix

Fixed in 1.19.2

likelihood

No EPSS score yet

Published 5 Nov 2026Analysed here 5 Nov 2026CVSS scored by the publisher (CNA)

do firstUpgrade to a fixed release: 1.19.2.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-122311 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-122311 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked.

How severe is CVE-2026-122311?

CVE-2026-122311 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.4. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2026-122311?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-122311. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-122311 affect?

CVE-2026-122311 affects Kyverno 1.16.0 - 1.19.1, Kubernetes clusters running Kyverno admission controller, NamespacedValidatingPolicy. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-122311?

Upgrade Kyverno to >=1.19.2, rotate/revoke admission SA creds, audit NamespacedValidatingPolicy and RBAC.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary

technical analysis

affected

Kyverno 1.16.0 - 1.19.1Kubernetes clusters running Kyverno admission controllerNamespacedValidatingPolicy

impact

Path-traversal in resource.get()/post() lets a NamespacedValidatingPolicy read/write cluster objects as the admission controller SA, enabling full cluster takeover.

action required

Immediate action required

affected versions

kyverno

affected>= 1.16.0 and < 1.19.2

vendor says fixed in1.19.2

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

timeline

5 Nov 2026Published
5 Nov 2026CVE record last updated · same day later
5 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com · same day later

how to fix

Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.

references

NVD CVE.org CVE Details Source

2 references in the CVE record: 2 advisories

Advisorygithub.com /kyverno/kyverno/security/advisories/GHSA-4pqm-wqq6-h9q2
Advisoryvulncheck.com /advisories/kyverno-1.16.0-before-1.19.2-path-traversal-in-namespaced-cel-polici

sources

CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
NVD: CVSS and CPE data
FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.

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