Kubernetes kubectl cp path traversal on Windows allows arbitrary file writes
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · High · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
A path traversal vulnerability was discovered in the Kubernetes kubectl client's kubectl cp command on Windows. When copying files from a container, kubectl runs tar inside the container to build a tar archive, transfers it over the network, and unpacks it on the local machine. If the tar binary in the container is malicious, it can execute arbitrary code and emit unexpected output, allowing an attacker who controls container contents to write files to arbitrary paths on the user's local machine when kubectl cp is invoked, limited only by the system permissions of the local user. This issue only affects kubectl clients running on Windows.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kubernetes | Kubernetes | v1.36.0 – v1.36.4; v1.35.0 – v1.35.8; v1.34.0 – v1.34.11 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- Kubernetes VendorKubernetes Affected v1.36.0 – v1.36.4; v1.35.0 – v1.35.8; v1.34.0 – v1.34.11 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1
Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:kubernetes:kubernetes:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | — | — | Kubernetes |
- cpe:2.3:a:kubernetes:kubernetes:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·Kubernetes
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| DPU kit for NVIDIA | Affected | No fix yet |
| Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet |
Not affected: 50 products
- AWS Load Balancer Operator
- Assisted Installer for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 2
- Builds for Red Hat OpenShift
- Compliance Operator
- Confidential Compute Attestation
- Custom Metric Autoscaler operator for Red Hat Openshift
- Deployment Validation Operator
- Kernel Module Management Operator for Red Hat Openshift
- Logging Subsystem for Red Hat OpenShift
- Logical Volume Manager Storage
- MCP Server for Red Hat OpenShift
- Machine Deletion Remediation Operator
- Migration Toolkit for Applications 8
- Migration Toolkit for Containers
- Migration Toolkit for Virtualization
- Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes
- Node HealthCheck Operator
- Node Maintenance Operator
- OpenShift API for Data Protection
- OpenShift Developer Tools and Services
- OpenShift Lightspeed
- OpenShift Serverless
- OpenShift Service Mesh 3
- Pen Drive Powered by Red Hat Lightspeed
- Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes 2
- Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4
- Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2
- Red Hat Build of Kueue
- Red Hat Ceph Storage 9
- Red Hat Certification Program for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat Developer Hub 1
- Red Hat Edge Manager 1
- Red Hat Hardened Images
- Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI)
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
- Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces
- Red Hat OpenShift GitOps
- Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization 4
- Red Hat OpenShift for Windows Containers
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.2
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform 17.1
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform 18.0
- Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4
- Red Hat Quay 3
- Red Hat Service Interconnect 2
- Red Hat Trusted Artifact Signer
- Red Hat Trusted Profile Analyzer
- Red Hat Web Terminal
- Service Telemetry Framework 1.5
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-19444
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-pw89-p422-jr5j
- 2026-10-27 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
More Kubernetes vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-01719 ingress-nginx admission controller RCE escalation CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2018-16130 Improper privilege management in Kubernetes CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2025-00932 ingress-nginx controller - configuration injection via unsanitized mirror annotations CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2019-08418 Kubernetes kubelet exposes /debug/pprof info on healthz port CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.2
- TI-2026-02839 ingress-nginx rewrite-target nginx configuration injection CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2025-18233 ingress-nginx controller - configuration injection via unsanitized auth-url annotation CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-19444 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-19444 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-pw89-p422-jr5j · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-19444 · 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