CVE-2026-24512 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) affecting the ingress-nginx controller in Kubernetes. The issue arises from insufficient validation of the 'rules.http.paths.path' field in Ingress resources, which can be manipulated to inject arbitrary nginx configuration directives. Since ingress-nginx runs with elevated privileges and has access to all cluster-wide Secrets by default, an attacker who can create or modify Ingress resources can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code within the ingress-nginx controller's context. This could lead to full compromise of the controller pod, unauthorized access to sensitive Secrets, and potentially lateral movement within the cluster. The vulnerability requires network access and privileges to create or modify Ingress resources but does not require user interaction. The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8 reflects the ease of network exploitation (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requirement for privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). No patches or exploits are currently listed, indicating the need for vigilance and proactive mitigation. This vulnerability is critical for Kubernetes clusters that rely on ingress-nginx for routing external traffic to internal services, especially in multi-tenant or production environments.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the security of Kubernetes clusters, which are widely adopted across industries such as finance, manufacturing, healthcare, and government. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data stored in Kubernetes Secrets, including credentials, certificates, and tokens, potentially resulting in data breaches and regulatory non-compliance under GDPR. Arbitrary code execution within the ingress-nginx controller could allow attackers to disrupt service availability, manipulate traffic routing, or pivot to other cluster components, amplifying the impact. Organizations running multi-tenant clusters or those exposing ingress-nginx to untrusted users are particularly at risk. The compromise of ingress controllers can undermine the entire application delivery pipeline, affecting business continuity and trust. Given the critical role of Kubernetes in digital infrastructure, this vulnerability could have cascading effects on European enterprises' operational security and data protection obligations.

1. Immediately restrict permissions to create or modify Ingress resources using Kubernetes Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), limiting this capability to trusted administrators only. 2. Monitor and audit Ingress resource changes continuously to detect suspicious or unauthorized modifications to the 'rules.http.paths.path' field. 3. Apply network segmentation and isolate ingress-nginx controllers to reduce exposure to untrusted networks or users. 4. Implement admission controllers or validating webhooks to enforce strict schema validation and reject Ingress resources with suspicious path configurations. 5. Stay updated with ingress-nginx project releases and apply security patches promptly once available. 6. Consider deploying runtime security tools to monitor ingress-nginx controller behavior for anomalies indicative of exploitation attempts. 7. Review and minimize the scope of Secrets accessible to ingress-nginx controllers, employing Kubernetes features like Secret encryption and least privilege principles. 8. Educate DevOps and security teams about this vulnerability to ensure rapid detection and response.