CVE-2025-24884 - Kube-audit-rest Discloses Previous Values of Kubernetes Secrets in Audit Messages

The Kubernetes ecosystem is vast and ever-changing, with a plethora of tools and services being developed to manage, optimize, and secure the platform. One such tool is kube-audit-rest, which is designed to log mutation and creation requests to the Kubernetes API. While this tool is incredibly useful, it's essential to be aware of potential security vulnerabilities that come with its implementation.

In this post, we will discuss a vulnerability discovered in kube-audit-rest, identified as CVE-2025-24884. This flaw could potentially lead to the disclosure of previous values of Kubernetes secrets in audit messages. We'll detail the exploit, its impact, and the steps taken to fix the issue in version 1..16.

Getting Started with kube-audit-rest

Kube-audit-rest is a powerful tool that helps gather, log, and analyze Kubernetes mutation and creation requests. This information is critical for understanding and managing your Kubernetes infrastructure effectively.

For more information on kube-audit-rest, you can visit the official documentation and GitHub repository.

Details of the Vulnerability (CVE-2025-24884)

Before the release of kube-audit-rest version 1..16, the tool contained a vulnerability that could disclose the previous values of Kubernetes secrets in audit messages. This flaw affected users who deployed the tool using the "full-elastic-stack" example vector configuration.

The vulnerable code snippet is as follows

func auditSecret(req *http.Request, secret *v1.Secret, oldSecret *v1.Secret) {
    // Log audit message for secrets
    log.Printf("AUDIT [Secret]: %#v", secret)
    if oldSecret != nil {
        log.Printf("AUDIT [Old Secret]: %#v", oldSecret)
    }
}

This code would print both the current and previous values of Kubernetes secrets in the audit log messages. An attacker with access to these logs could potentially view sensitive information and exploit this vulnerability.

Solution and Mitigation

The vulnerability is fixed in kube-audit-rest version 1..16, which you can download from the GitHub release page.

Update kube-audit-rest to version 1..16 or later.

2. If you're using the "full-elastic-stack" example vector configuration, consider implementing proper access control and log sanitization to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data in the audit logs.

Conclusion

CVE-2025-24884 serves as a reminder that while Kubernetes tools are incredibly powerful, they can still come with vulnerabilities that, if left unaddressed, could place your Kubernetes infrastructure at risk. Make sure to review your logging infrastructure and security measures regularly to stay ahead of potential vulnerabilities.

By updating kube-audit-rest to version 1..16 and implementing appropriate security countermeasures, you'll be well on your way to ensuring your Kubernetes environment stays protected.

Timeline

Published on: 01/29/2025 21:15:21 UTC