---
title: "CVE-2025-1097: ingress-nginx controller - configuration injection via unsanitized auth-tls-match-cn annotation"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-1097/
description: "CVE-2025-1097 (kubernetes ingress-nginx): A security issue was discovered in ingress-nginx https://github.com/kubernetes/ingress-nginx where the…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2025-03-24
date_modified: 2026-10-21
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2025-1097"
kev: false
cvss: 8.8
epss: 0.33236
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2025-1097: ingress-nginx controller - configuration injection via unsanitized auth-tls-match-cn annotation

**Signal:** High exploit likelihood. EPSS ranks it in the top 5% of all CVEs for likely exploitation in the next 30 days. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 33.2% , percentile 98: FIRST’s model estimates a 33.2% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 98% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs an account (low (any account)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
- Editorial verdict: Check exposure. IngressNightmare: ingress-nginx Cluster Takeover RCE — Patched since March 2025. If any cluster still runs ingress-nginx below 1.11.5 or 1.12.1, that is a cluster-takeover risk, and the controller itself is now retired, so plan the migration while you check.

## What it is

A security issue was discovered in ingress-nginx https://github.com/kubernetes/ingress-nginx where the auth-tls-match-cn Ingress annotation can be used to inject configuration into nginx. This can lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the ingress-nginx controller, and disclosure of Secrets accessible to the controller. (Note that in the default installation, the controller can access all Secrets cluster-wide.)

## Affected products (CVE record)

- kubernetes ingress-nginx: <= 1.11.4, 1.12.0

## Severity

- kubernetes CVSS 3.1: 8.8 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 33.24% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 98.

## Sources

- [CVE.org record CVE-2025-1097](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-1097)
- [NVD entry CVE-2025-1097](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-1097)
- [github.com](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/131007)
- [security.netapp.com](https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20250328-0008/)
- [exploit-db.com](https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/52475)

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Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-1097/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt