CVE-2026-41184: CWE-532 Insertion of sensitive information into log file in Tigera Calico
CVE-2026-41184 is a vulnerability in Tigera Calico where the install-cni init container logs the rendered CNI configuration including a substituted Kubernetes ServiceAccount bearer token. This token is exposed in logs accessible to any authenticated user with pods/log permission in the calico-node namespace. The exposed token grants patch privileges on pods/status, enabling potential annotation-based attacks on cluster workloads. The default kubeconfig-based authentication is not affected. No patch or official remediation is currently confirmed.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
In Tigera Calico, the install-cni init container logs the rendered CNI configuration to standard output. When the configuration template uses the __SERVICEACCOUNT_TOKEN__ placeholder, the installer substitutes the live Kubernetes ServiceAccount bearer token before logging it. This exposes the token to any authenticated user with pods/log permission in the namespace containing calico-node. The token has patch privileges on pods/status, which could be abused for annotation-based attacks against cluster workloads. This vulnerability is a regression of a previous issue (TTA-2018-001). The default kubeconfig-based authentication path remains unaffected. No vendor advisory or patch information is available at this time.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows exposure of a Kubernetes ServiceAccount bearer token with patch privileges on pods/status via logs accessible to authenticated users with pods/log permission in the calico-node namespace. This could enable attackers to perform annotation-based attacks on cluster workloads. The default kubeconfig-based authentication is not impacted, limiting the scope to deployments using the __SERVICEACCOUNT_TOKEN__ placeholder in the CNI configuration template.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict pods/log permissions in the calico-node namespace to trusted users only to limit token exposure via logs.
CVE-2026-41184: CWE-532 Insertion of sensitive information into log file in Tigera Calico
Description
CVE-2026-41184 is a vulnerability in Tigera Calico where the install-cni init container logs the rendered CNI configuration including a substituted Kubernetes ServiceAccount bearer token. This token is exposed in logs accessible to any authenticated user with pods/log permission in the calico-node namespace. The exposed token grants patch privileges on pods/status, enabling potential annotation-based attacks on cluster workloads. The default kubeconfig-based authentication is not affected. No patch or official remediation is currently confirmed.
CVSS v4.0
Score 6.0medium
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
In Tigera Calico, the install-cni init container logs the rendered CNI configuration to standard output. When the configuration template uses the __SERVICEACCOUNT_TOKEN__ placeholder, the installer substitutes the live Kubernetes ServiceAccount bearer token before logging it. This exposes the token to any authenticated user with pods/log permission in the namespace containing calico-node. The token has patch privileges on pods/status, which could be abused for annotation-based attacks against cluster workloads. This vulnerability is a regression of a previous issue (TTA-2018-001). The default kubeconfig-based authentication path remains unaffected. No vendor advisory or patch information is available at this time.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows exposure of a Kubernetes ServiceAccount bearer token with patch privileges on pods/status via logs accessible to authenticated users with pods/log permission in the calico-node namespace. This could enable attackers to perform annotation-based attacks on cluster workloads. The default kubeconfig-based authentication is not impacted, limiting the scope to deployments using the __SERVICEACCOUNT_TOKEN__ placeholder in the CNI configuration template.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict pods/log permissions in the calico-node namespace to trusted users only to limit token exposure via logs.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- Tigera
- Date Reserved
- 2026-04-17T17:41:35.905Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a1871e7e29bf47b501244cb
Added to database: 05/28/2026, 16:48:39 UTC
Last enriched: 07/02/2026, 23:16:47 UTC
Last updated: 07/31/2026, 19:22:58 UTC
Views: 73
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