CVE-2025-55191 is a concurrency-related vulnerability classified under CWE-362 (Race Condition) affecting Argo CD, a popular GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. The issue resides in the repository credentials handler within the util/db/repository_secrets.go file, where multiple concurrent operations on the same repository URL are improperly synchronized. This leads to a race condition that causes the Argo CD server process to panic and crash, resulting in a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must possess a valid API token with permissions to create, update, or delete repository resources, which implies some level of prior access or compromise. The vulnerability affects multiple versions: all releases from 2.1.0 up to but not including 2.14.20, specific 3.x release candidates, and their respective patch levels. The impact is limited to availability, as the server crash disrupts all GitOps operations managed by Argo CD, potentially halting deployment pipelines and continuous delivery workflows. The CVSS v3.1 score is 6.5 (medium), reflecting network attack vector, low complexity, required privileges, no user interaction, and impact confined to availability. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability’s nature allows repeated triggering to maintain persistent DoS. The vendor has addressed the issue in versions 2.14.20, 3.2.0-rc2, 3.1.8, and 3.0.19, and users are strongly advised to upgrade. This vulnerability highlights the risks of improper concurrency control in critical infrastructure components managing deployment automation.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-55191 is the disruption of continuous delivery pipelines using Argo CD, which can halt automated deployments and updates to Kubernetes clusters. This denial-of-service condition can affect development velocity, operational stability, and incident response capabilities, especially in environments relying heavily on GitOps for infrastructure and application lifecycle management. Organizations in sectors with stringent uptime requirements—such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure—may face operational and compliance risks if deployments are interrupted. Additionally, the requirement for a valid API token means that insider threats or compromised credentials could be leveraged to exploit this vulnerability, emphasizing the need for strong access controls and monitoring. The inability to perform GitOps operations can delay security patches and updates, indirectly increasing exposure to other vulnerabilities. While the vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity directly, the availability impact can cascade into broader operational risks. European entities using affected Argo CD versions should consider the potential for targeted DoS attacks, especially in multi-tenant or shared cluster environments.

To mitigate CVE-2025-55191, European organizations should immediately upgrade Argo CD to the fixed versions: 2.14.20 or later, 3.2.0-rc2 or later, 3.1.8 or later, and 3.0.19 or later depending on their current deployment. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, organizations should restrict API token permissions to the minimum necessary, especially limiting repository resource create, update, and delete actions to trusted users only. Implement strict monitoring and alerting on repository-related API calls to detect abnormal concurrent operations that could indicate exploitation attempts. Employ network segmentation and zero-trust principles to limit access to the Argo CD API server. Regularly audit API tokens and rotate credentials to reduce the risk of token compromise. Consider implementing rate limiting or concurrency controls at the API gateway or ingress level to mitigate rapid repeated triggering of the race condition. Finally, conduct thorough testing of Argo CD upgrades in staging environments to ensure compatibility and stability before production rollout.