CVE-2024-36540

CRITICAL

Published Jul 24, 2024 Modified Jun 27, 2025 CWE-277

Description

Insecure permissions in external-secrets v0.9.16 allows attackers to access sensitive data and escalate privileges by obtaining the service account's token.

Is your site exposed to CVE-2024-36540?

Run a free security scan — no signup, results in seconds.

CVSS v3.1 Score

9.8

CRITICAL

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-277 CWE-277

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
external-secrets	external_secrets_operator	All

References

Other References

https://gist.github.com/HouqiyuA/a4834f3c8450f9d89e2bc4d5c4beef6a https://gist.github.com/HouqiyuA/a4834f3c8450f9d89e2bc4d5c4beef6a

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-36540? +

Insecure permissions in external-secrets v0.9.16 allows attackers to access sensitive data and escalate privileges by obtaining the service account's token. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

How severe is CVE-2024-36540? +

CVE-2024-36540 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 out of 10, rated CRITICAL. This is a critical vulnerability that should be patched immediately.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-36540? +

CVE-2024-36540 affects products from external-secrets, specifically: external_secrets_operator. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-36540? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.