# CVE-2026-40868: kyverno apicall servicecall implicit bearer token injection leaks kyverno serviceaccount token

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-40868-kyverno-apicall-servicecall-implicit-bearer-token-injection-leaks  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-04-21. Updated: 2026-05-11  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-40868 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.1 · Published 2026-04-21

Kyverno is a policy engine designed for cloud native platform engineering teams. Prior to 1.16.4, kyverno’s apiCall servicecall helper implicitly injects Authorization: Bearer ... using the kyverno controller serviceaccount token when a policy does not explicitly set an Authorization header. Because context.apiCall.service.url is policy-controlled, this can send the kyverno serviceaccount token to an attacker-controlled endpoint (confused deputy). Namespaced policies are blocked from servicecall usage by the namespaced urlPath gate in pkg/engine/apicall/apiCall.go, so this report is scoped to ClusterPolicy and global context usage. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.16.4.

Technologies: [github.com/kyverno/kyverno (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-kyverno-kyverno), [Kyverno](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/kyverno). Vendors: [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go), [Kyverno](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/kyverno).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-40868 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-40868 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-40868?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.1, published 21 April 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** github.com/kyverno/kyverno (Go) < 1.17.0, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.17.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-40868?** Yes. github.com/kyverno/kyverno (Go): upgrade to 1.17.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-40868?** Check whether you run github.com/kyverno/kyverno (Go) or Kyverno 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

- github.com/kyverno/kyverno (Go): upgrade to 1.17.0 or later

  ```sh
  go get github.com/kyverno/kyverno@v1.17.0
  ```


## Affected products

- github.com/kyverno/kyverno (Go) < 1.17.0, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.17.0
- Kyverno

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-40868
- GHSA-q93q-v844-jrqp
- GO-2026-5575

## References

- [https://api.github.com/users/1seal](https://api.github.com/users/1seal)
- [https://github.com/1seal](https://github.com/1seal)
- [https://api.github.com/users/1seal/gists%7B/gist_id%7D](https://api.github.com/users/1seal/gists%7B/gist_id%7D)
- [https://api.github.com/users/1seal/repos](https://api.github.com/users/1seal/repos)
- [https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/239602944?v=4](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/239602944?v=4)
- [https://api.github.com/users/1seal/events%7B/privacy%7D](https://api.github.com/users/1seal/events%7B/privacy%7D)

## Related threats

- [Kyverno authorization bypass in generate rule validation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-124441-kyverno-before-1-19-2-contains-an-authorization-bypass)
- [Kyverno apiCall authorization bypass in namespace clamp](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-124440-kyverno-from-1-19-1-before-1-19-2-contains-an-authorization)
- [Kyverno unbounded decompression in notary signature fetch](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-122323-kyverno-from-1-11-0-before-1-19-2-contains-an-unbounded)
- [Kyverno verifyImages signature verification bypass via cache](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-122321-kyverno-1-18-0-before-1-19-2-contains-a-signature-verification)
- [Kyverno missing authorization in generate.clone namespace](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-122320-kyverno-before-1-19-2-contains-a-missing-authorization)