CVE-2025-62156 is a path traversal vulnerability categorized under CWE-22 affecting Argo Workflows, an open-source container-native workflow engine for Kubernetes. The flaw exists in the artifact extraction process, specifically in the unpack/untar logic implemented in workflow/executor/executor.go. The vulnerable code uses filepath.Join(dest, filepath.Clean(header.Name)) to determine extraction paths without ensuring that the cleaned header.Name remains within the intended extraction directory (/work/tmp). A maliciously crafted archive can include entries with traversal sequences or absolute paths that, after cleaning, escape the target directory and write files into sensitive system locations inside the container, such as /etc/passwd, /etc/hosts, or /etc/crontab. This arbitrary file write capability can be exploited to overwrite critical configuration files, enabling attackers to escalate privileges or establish persistence within the container environment. The vulnerability affects Argo Workflows versions prior to 3.6.12 and versions 3.7.0 through 3.7.2. The issue was publicly disclosed on October 14, 2025, with a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 (high severity), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, required privileges, no user interaction, unchanged scope, no confidentiality impact, but high integrity and availability impacts. No known exploits in the wild have been reported yet. Remediation involves upgrading to patched versions 3.6.12 or 3.7.3 where the extraction logic properly validates and restricts paths to prevent traversal outside the intended directory.

For European organizations leveraging Kubernetes and Argo Workflows for container orchestration, this vulnerability poses significant risks. Exploitation can lead to arbitrary file writes within containerized environments, potentially overwriting critical system files and enabling privilege escalation. This could allow attackers to gain elevated access within containers, persist undetected, and potentially pivot to other parts of the infrastructure. Given the widespread adoption of Kubernetes and Argo Workflows in cloud-native deployments across Europe, especially in sectors like finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, the impact includes disruption of services, data integrity compromise, and increased risk of lateral movement within networks. Additionally, regulatory compliance frameworks such as GDPR may be implicated if exploitation leads to data breaches or service outages. The containerized nature of the environment means that while the host system may be insulated, compromised containers can still affect multi-tenant environments and cloud workloads, amplifying the threat.

European organizations should immediately assess their use of Argo Workflows and identify deployments running affected versions (<3.6.12 and 3.7.0 to 3.7.2). The primary mitigation is to upgrade to Argo Workflows version 3.6.12 or 3.7.3, where the vulnerability is patched. Until upgrades can be applied, organizations should restrict access to artifact sources and ensure that only trusted archives are processed. Implement runtime security controls to monitor and alert on unexpected file writes within containers, especially to sensitive paths like /etc. Employ container security best practices such as running containers with least privilege, using read-only root filesystems where feasible, and applying Kubernetes Pod Security Policies or OPA Gatekeeper policies to limit container capabilities. Regularly audit container images and workflows for suspicious artifacts. Network segmentation and zero-trust principles can limit the blast radius if a container is compromised. Finally, integrate vulnerability scanning and continuous monitoring in CI/CD pipelines to detect and prevent deployment of vulnerable versions.