# CVE-2026-84195: Kyverno apiCall credential leak to external endpoints

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-84195-kyverno-apicall-credential-leak-to-external-endpoints  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-01. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-84195 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.7 · Published 2026-09-01

Kyverno is a policy engine that validates and enforces rules on Kubernetes clusters. The apiCall feature automatically attaches the Kubernetes ServiceAccount token (a sensitive credential) to HTTP requests sent to external or attacker-controlled endpoints without explicit authorization. An attacker who controls a destination endpoint or can redirect traffic can steal this token and gain full administrative control over Kyverno policies and cluster resources.

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-2026-84195 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-84195 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-84195?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.7, published 1 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** github.com/kyverno/kyverno (Go) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.17.0; Kyverno before 1.16.4.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-84195?** 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.

**How is CVE-2026-84195 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-84195?** 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
  ```


## Technical details

The vulnerability is a credential exposure flaw (CWE-200, CWE-522) in Kyverno's apiCall executor (pkg/engine/apicall/executor.go). When an apiCall policy rule lacks an explicit Authorization header, the code automatically reads the admission controller's ServiceAccount token from /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token and injects it as "Authorization: Bearer <token>" into every outbound HTTP request. The root cause is implicit credential forwarding without trust boundary validation or documentation. An attacker can exfiltrate the token by directing apiCall requests to external endpoints or performing request interception. The exposed token grants full control over Kyverno policies, the ability to create/delete webhooks, and read cluster-wide resources, enabling privilege escalation and persistence. Patch: upgrade to Kyverno 1.16.4 or later.

## Affected products

- Kyverno Kyverno before 1.16.4

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-84195
- GHSA-8wfp-579w-6r25
- GO-2026-5268

## Timeline

- 2026-04-15: disclosed: GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-8wfp-579w-6r25) published
- 2026-04-15: patched: Version 1.16.4 released with fix
- 2026-09-01: advisory: CVE-2026-84195 assigned and published on NVD

## References

- [https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno/security/advisories/GHSA-8wfp-579w-6r25](https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno/security/advisories/GHSA-8wfp-579w-6r25)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/kyverno-before-1.16.4-credential-leak-via-apicall](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/kyverno-before-1.16.4-credential-leak-via-apicall)

## 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)