---
title: "CVE-2023-32191: rke's credentials are stored in the RKE1 Cluster state ConfigMap"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2023-32191/
description: "CVE-2023-32191 (github.com/rancher/rke (Go)): When RKE provisions a cluster, it stores the cluster state in a configmap called full-cluster-state inside the…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2024-10-16
date_modified: 2024-10-16
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2023-32191"
kev: false
cvss: 9.9
epss: 0.0066
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2023-32191: rke's credentials are stored in the RKE1 Cluster state ConfigMap

**Signal:** Critical, preconditions apply. Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.7% , percentile 51: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.7% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 51% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs an account (low (any account)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes github.com/rancher/rke (Go) >= 1.4.18, < 1.4.19, fixed in 1.4.19 ; github.com/rancher/rke (Go) >= 1.5.9, < 1.5.10, fixed in 1.5.10 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

When RKE provisions a cluster, it stores the cluster state in a configmap called full-cluster-state inside the kube-system namespace of the cluster itself. The information available in there allows non-admin users to escalate to admin.

## Affected packages

- Go `github.com/rancher/rke` >= 1.4.18, < 1.4.19 → fixed: 1.4.19
- Go `github.com/rancher/rke` >= 1.5.9, < 1.5.10 → fixed: 1.5.10

## Affected products (CVE record)

- SUSE rke: 1.4.18 < 1.4.19, 1.5.9 < 1.5.10

## Severity

- suse CVSS 3.1: 9.9 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.9 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.66% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 51.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-6gr4-52w6-vmqx](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-6gr4-52w6-vmqx)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2023-32191](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-32191)
- [NVD entry CVE-2023-32191](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32191)
- [bugzilla.suse.com](https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2023-32191)
- [github.com](https://github.com/rancher/rke/security/advisories/GHSA-6gr4-52w6-vmqx)
- [github.com](https://github.com/rancher/rke/commit/cf49199481a1891909acb1384eed73a5c987d5bd)
- [github.com](https://github.com/rancher/rke/commit/f7485b8dce376db0fc15a7c3ceb3de7029c8d0cf)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2023-32191/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt