Authentication bypass by spoofing in kiali
Priority LOW 30CWE-290Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-290.
Summary
An authentication bypass vulnerability was found in Kiali in versions before 1.31.0 when the authentication strategy `OpenID` is used. When RBAC is enabled, Kiali assumes that some of the token validation is handled by the underlying cluster. When OpenID `implicit flow` is used with RBAC turned off, this token validation doesn't occur, and this allows a malicious user to bypass the authentication.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00763 55th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed github.com/kiali/kiali (Go): 1.31.0
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | kiali | kiali 1.31.0 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
| — | github.com/kiali/kiali (Go) | before 1.31.0 | 1.31.0 | Patch available | GHSA-ggjr-2f7v-vhq4 |
- kiali Vendor— Affected kiali 1.31.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
- github.com/kiali/kiali (Go) Vendor— Affected before 1.31.0 Fixed in 1.31.0 Patch available GHSA-ggjr-2f7v-vhq4
Remediation
- Fix · GHSA-ggjr-2f7v-vhq4 github.com/kiali/kiali (Go) Fixed in 1.31.0 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 1 product
- OpenShift Service Mesh 2.0
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-20278
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-ggjr-2f7v-vhq4
References
More [Kiali] Kiali vulnerabilities
- TI-2020-01707 Hard-coded credentials in Red Hat kiali CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
- TI-2020-01705 Session fixation in [Kiali] kiali CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
- TI-2022-03631 Kiali: error message spoofing in kiali ui CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.3
Sources
- CVE-2021-20278 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-20278 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-ggjr-2f7v-vhq4 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2021-20278 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences