7.5

CVE-2019-11253: Kubernetes API Server JSON/YAML parsing vulnerable to resource exhaustion attack

Analyzed
AliasesRHEA-2019:3809RHSA-2019:3132RHSA-2020:2799
Published 17-10-2019Last modified 16-09-2024

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2019-11253 is a high (CVSS 7.5) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in kubernetes. EPSS estimates a 25.94% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 97.9% of scored vulnerabilities. 1 public exploit is recorded.

Priority
Prioritisepublic exploit

Public exploit (GitHub, Date unknown)

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
7.5/10
010
High · v3.1 (CVE.org)
EPSS score
25.94%
0%100%
High · 0.00 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits1github

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 7 · Related 4
OPENSUSE-SU-2025:15424-1RHSA-2019:3239RHSA-2019:3811RHSA-2019:3905RHSA-2020:2795RHSA-2020:2796

Timeline

  1. 17-10-2019
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 16-09-2024
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Improper input validation in the Kubernetes API server in versions v1.0-1.12 and versions prior to v1.13.12, v1.14.8, v1.15.5, and v1.16.2 allows authorized users to send malicious YAML or JSON payloads, causing the API server to consume excessive CPU or memory, potentially crashing and becoming unavailable. Prior to v1.14.0, default RBAC policy authorized anonymous users to submit requests that could trigger this vulnerability. Clusters upgraded from a version prior to v1.14.0 keep the more permissive policy by default for backwards compatibility.

CVSS metrics

9 scores · 8 sources · 3 versions

EPSS trend

Probability

25.94%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

98%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

No change 0.00 pp

From 25.94% on 05-10-2026

05-10-202604-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

1 found
  • githubUnverified

    Kubernetes

    Maturity: poc

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Redhat23 products
  • openshift_container_platform3.9 | 3.10 | 3.11
  • jaeger< 0:v1.13.1.redhat5-1.el7
  • jaeger-operator< 0:v1.13.1.redhat8-1.el7
  • kiali< 0:v1.0.7.redhat1-1.el7
  • openshift< 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el7 | < 0:4.1.20-201910101746.git.0.a80aad5.el8
Alpine1 product
  • containerd< 1.3.3-r0
Chainguard1 product
  • kubeflow-pipelinesAll versions (No fix recorded)
Debian1 product
  • kubernetes< 1.17.4-1
K8s.io1 product
  • kubernetes≥ 1.0.0, < 1.13.12 | ≥ 1.14.0, < 1.14.8 | ≥ 1.15.0, < 1.15.5 | ≥ 1.16.0, < 1.16.2
Kubernetes1 product
  • kubernetesprior to 1.13.12 | prior to 1.14.8 | prior to 1.15.5 | prior to 1.16.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.10 | 1.11 | 1.12 | ≥ 1.1.0, ≤ 1.12.10 | ≥ 1.13.0, < 1.13.12 | ≥ 1.14.0, < 1.14.8 | ≥ 1.15.0, < 1.15.5 | ≥ 1.16.0, < 1.16.2
Wolfi1 product
  • kubeflow-pipelinesAll versions (No fix recorded)

7 vendors · 29 products

References

31 links
Show all 31 references