# CVE-2020-8559: GO-2024-2748 - Privilege Escalation in Kubernetes in k8s.io/apimachinery

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-8559-privilege-escalation-in-kubernetes  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2024-05-20  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2020-8559 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2024-05-20

Privilege Escalation in Kubernetes in k8s.io/apimachinery

Technologies: [k8s.io/apimachinery (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/k8s-io-apimachinery), [k8s.io/kubernetes (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/k8s-io-kubernetes). Vendors: [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2020-8559 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2020-8559 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2020-8559?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 20 May 2024.

**Which products and versions are affected?** k8s.io/apimachinery (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.16.13, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.16.13,introduced=0.17.0,fixed=0.17.9,introduced=0.18.0,fixed=0.18.7-rc.0; k8s.io/kubernetes (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.16.13, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.16.13,introduced=1.17.0,fixed=1.17.9,introduced=1.18.0,fixed=1.18.7.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2020-8559?** Yes. k8s.io/apimachinery (Go): upgrade to 0.16.13, 0.18.7-rc.0 or later; k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): upgrade to 1.16.13, 1.18.7 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**Am I affected by CVE-2020-8559?** Check whether you run k8s.io/apimachinery (Go) or k8s.io/kubernetes (Go) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- k8s.io/apimachinery (Go): upgrade to 0.16.13, 0.18.7-rc.0 or later

  ```sh
  go get k8s.io/apimachinery@v0.18.7-rc.0
  ```

- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go): upgrade to 1.16.13, 1.18.7 or later

  ```sh
  go get k8s.io/kubernetes@v1.18.7
  ```


## Affected products

- k8s.io/apimachinery (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.16.13, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.16.13,introduced=0.17.0,fixed=0.17.9,introduced=0.18.0,fixed=0.18.7-rc.0
- k8s.io/kubernetes (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.16.13, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.16.13,introduced=1.17.0,fixed=1.17.9,introduced=1.18.0,fixed=1.18.7

## Identifiers

- CVE-2020-8559
- GHSA-33c5-9fx5-fvjm
- GO-2024-2748

## Related threats

- [kube-controller-manager is vulnerable to half-blind Server Side Request Forgery through in-tree Portworx StorageClass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-13281-kube-controller-manager-is-vulnerable-to-half-blind-server-side)
- [GO-2025-3915 - Kubernetes Nodes can delete themselves by adding an OwnerReference in k8s.io/kubernetes](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-5187-kubernetes-nodes-can-delete-themselves-by-adding-an-ownerreference)
- [GO-2025-3774 - Kubernetes allows nodes to bypass dynamic resource allocation authorization checks in k8s.io/kubernetes](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-4563-kubernetes-allows-nodes-to-bypass-dynamic-resource-allocation)
- [GO-2025-3645 - Kubernetes did not effectively clear service account credentials in k8s.io/kubernetes](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2019-11243-kubernetes-did-not-effectively-clear-service-account-credentials)
- [GO-2025-3522 - Kubernetes allows Command Injection affecting Windows nodes via nodes/*/logs/query API in k8s.io/kubernetes](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2024-9042-kubernetes-allows-command-injection-affecting-windows-nodes-via)