CVE-2026-62290: cert-manager authorization bypass in Challenge resource creation

CVE-2026-62290 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.3 · Published 2026-07-16

cert-manager is a tool used to automate the management and issuance of TLS certificates in Kubernetes environments. A security flaw allows users with limited access to a specific namespace to bypass security restrictions and use high-level administrative credentials to issue certificates for domains they do not own. This could lead to the unauthorized issuance of certificates and the exposure of sensitive API keys used for DNS management.

Technologies: github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager (Go). Vendors: Go.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-62290 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-62290 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-62290?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.3, published 16 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Cert-Manager >= 1.18.0, < 1.19.6; >= 1.20.0, < 1.20.3; github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager (Go) >= 1.18.0, < 1.19.6, SEMVER:introduced=1.18.0,fixed=1.19.6, SEMVER:introduced=1.18.0,fixed=1.19.6,introduced=1.20.0-alpha.0,fixed=1.20.3.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-62290?
Yes. github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager (Go): upgrade to 1.19.6, 1.20.3 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-62290 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-62290?
Check whether you run Cert-Manager or github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager (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

  • github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager (Go): upgrade to 1.19.6, 1.20.3 or later
    go get github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager@v1.20.3

Technical details

An authorization bypass vulnerability exists in cert-manager due to incorrect RBAC permissions in the 'cert-manager-edit' aggregate ClusterRole. Between versions 1.18.0 and 1.20.3, namespace users could directly create 'Challenge' resources under 'acme.cert-manager.io' without proper admission validation. By crafting a Challenge resource with a malicious 'spec.solver' value referencing a 'ClusterIssuer', an attacker can bypass DNS01 selectors (such as dnsZones or matchLabels). This allows the attacker to force cert-manager to use administrative DNS credentials for unauthorized domains, potentially disclosing sensitive 'X-Api-User' and 'X-Api-Key' headers for acme-dns. The fix involves removing 'create' permissions for Challenges and 'create/patch/update' permissions for Orders from the aggregate edit role.

Affected products

  • cert-manager cert-manager >= 1.18.0, < 1.19.6; >= 1.20.0, < 1.20.3

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-62290
  • BIT-CERT-MANAGER-2026-62290
  • GHSA-8rvj-mm4h-c258
  • GO-2026-6889

Timeline

  • 2026-06-25: patched: Fixes merged into release branches 1.19 and 1.20
  • 2026-07-16: advisory: CVE-2026-62290 published

References

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