CVE-2026-54526: Argo Workflows privilege escalation via ArtifactGC PodSpecPatch

CVE-2026-54526 · Severity: high · CVSS 4 · Published 2026-07-16

Argo Workflows is an automation engine used to run complex parallel jobs on Kubernetes clusters. A security flaw allows users with basic workflow creation permissions to bypass security restrictions and run malicious code with elevated privileges. By injecting unauthorized configurations into the system's cleanup process, an attacker could gain access to sensitive service account tokens, access the host network, or run arbitrary commands on the underlying infrastructure.

Technologies: Argo Project Argo Workflows, github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows (Go), github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v2 (Go), github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3 (Go), github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v4 (Go). Vendors: Argo Project, Go.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-54526 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-54526 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-54526?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 4, published 16 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Argo Project Argo Workflows < 3.7.15, >= 4.0.0 < 4.0.6; github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows (Go) <= 2.5.3-rc4, SEMVER:introduced=0, SEMVER:introduced=0,last_affected=2.5.3-rc4; github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v2 (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0; github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3 (Go) < 3.7.15, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=3.7.15; and 1 more.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54526?
Yes. github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3 (Go): upgrade to 3.7.15 or later; github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v4 (Go): upgrade to 4.0.6 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-54526 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-54526?
Check whether you run Argo Project Argo Workflows, github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows (Go), github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v2 (Go) or one of the others listed 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/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3 (Go): upgrade to 3.7.15 or later
    go get github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v3@v3.7.15
  • github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v4 (Go): upgrade to 4.0.6 or later
    go get github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/v4@v4.0.6

Technical details

The vulnerability exists because the validation logic in 'workflow/util/merge.go' (ValidateUserOverrides and SanitizeUserWorkflowSpec) only inspects top-level fields of the WorkflowSpec via reflection. While the top-level 'PodSpecPatch' was restricted in a previous fix (CVE-2026-31892), the 'ArtifactGC' field was allow-listed wholesale. This allow-listed field contains a nested 'PodSpecPatch' sub-field that flows unvalidated into 'util.ApplyPodSpecPatch' on the artifact-GC pod. An attacker can use this to inject a strategic merge patch, enabling the creation of privileged containers, hostPath volumes, or hostNetwork access, effectively escaping the restrictions of a hardened WorkflowTemplate.

Affected products

  • argoproj Argo Workflows < 3.7.15, >= 4.0.0 < 4.0.6

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-54526
  • GHSA-48p8-g2fx-3wwm
  • GO-2026-6223

Timeline

  • 2026-06-10: patched: Fixed in versions 3.7.15 and 4.0.6
  • 2026-06-10: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-48p8-g2fx-3wwm published
  • 2026-07-16: disclosed: CVE-2026-54526 published to NVD

References

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