CVE-2022-24829 is a security vulnerability identified in the Garden automation platform for Kubernetes development and testing, specifically affecting versions prior to 0.12.39. The core issue is a missing authentication mechanism (CWE-306) on multiple API endpoints, notably the /api endpoint responsible for serving the Garden dashboard. This endpoint, by default, listens on 0.0.0.0, making it accessible to any user on the same network or, if exposed via a public static IP, to anyone on the internet. Due to the lack of authentication, an attacker with network access can retrieve sensitive configuration data including credentials, secrets, and environment variables. This exposure can lead to unauthorized access and potential compromise of the Kubernetes development and testing environment managed by Garden. The vulnerability arises from improper access control, allowing critical functions to be accessed without verifying the identity or authorization of the requester. The vendor has addressed this issue in version 0.12.39 by implementing proper authentication requirements. Until upgrading, users are advised to restrict network access to port 9777, which the Garden server uses, by employing firewalls to block untrusted sources. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the potential for sensitive data leakage and subsequent attacks remains significant due to the nature of the exposed information and the ease of access in default configurations.

For European organizations utilizing Garden for Kubernetes automation and testing, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive configuration data, including credentials and secrets. Such exposure can lead to further compromise of Kubernetes clusters, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges, deploy malicious workloads, or disrupt development and testing pipelines. The impact extends to confidentiality breaches and integrity violations within the development environment. Given that Kubernetes is widely adopted in Europe across sectors such as finance, manufacturing, and public services, exploitation could disrupt critical development operations and lead to data leaks or service interruptions. Organizations with Garden servers exposed to internal or external networks without proper access controls are particularly vulnerable. The risk is heightened in environments where Garden is deployed on public-facing infrastructure or where network segmentation is weak. Although no active exploits are currently known, the ease of exploitation and the sensitivity of the data accessible through the vulnerability make it a significant concern for maintaining secure DevOps practices.

1. Immediate upgrade to Garden version 0.12.39 or later to ensure authentication is enforced on all API endpoints. 2. For organizations unable to upgrade promptly, implement strict network-level controls by configuring firewalls to block all inbound traffic to port 9777 from untrusted networks, including internet-facing interfaces. 3. Employ network segmentation to isolate Garden servers within trusted internal networks, minimizing exposure to unauthorized users. 4. Regularly audit and monitor network access logs for unusual or unauthorized access attempts to the Garden API endpoints. 5. Review and rotate any credentials, secrets, or environment variables that may have been exposed prior to remediation. 6. Implement role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication where possible in the broader Kubernetes environment to mitigate potential lateral movement. 7. Educate DevOps and security teams about the risks of exposing development tools and enforce secure deployment practices, including binding services to localhost or internal IPs rather than 0.0.0.0 by default.