---
title: "CVE-2025-13888: OpenShift GitOps authenticated attackers can obtain cluster root access through forged ArgoCD custom resources"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-13888/
description: "CVE-2025-13888 (github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator (Go)): A flaw was found in OpenShift GitOps. Namespace admins can create ArgoCD Custom Resources…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2025-12-15
date_modified: 2026-01-22
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2025-13888"
kev: false
cvss: 9.1
epss: 0.00691
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2025-13888: OpenShift GitOps authenticated attackers can obtain cluster root access through forged ArgoCD custom resources

**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 52: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.7% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 52% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs an account (high (admin)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator (Go) < 1.16.2, fixed in 1.16.2 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

A flaw was found in OpenShift GitOps. Namespace admins can create ArgoCD Custom Resources (CRs) that trick the system into granting them elevated permissions in other namespaces, including privileged namespaces. An authenticated attacker can then use these elevated permissions to create privileged workloads that run on master nodes, effectively giving them root access to the entire cluster.

## Affected packages

- Go `github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator` < 1.16.2 → fixed: 1.16.2

## Affected products (CVE record)

- redhat-developer gitops-operator: < 1.16.2
- Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.16: see advisory
- Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.17: see advisory
- Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.18: see advisory
- Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift GitOps 1.18: see advisory
- Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift GitOps: see advisory

## Severity

- redhat CVSS 3.1: 9.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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): 0.69% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 52.

## Sources

- [RHSA-2025:23203](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:23203)
- [RHSA-2025:23206](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:23206)
- [RHSA-2025:23207](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:23207)
- [RHSA-2026:1017](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:1017)
- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-pcqx-8qww-7f4v](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pcqx-8qww-7f4v)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2025-13888](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-13888)
- [NVD entry CVE-2025-13888](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-13888)
- [access.redhat.com](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-13888)
- [RHBZ#2418361](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2418361)
- [github.com](https://github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator/commit/bc6ac3e03d7c8b3db5d8f1770c868396a4c2dcef)
- [github.com](https://github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator/pull/897)
- [github.com](https://github.com/redhat-developer/gitops-operator/releases/tag/v1.16.2)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-13888/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt