---
title: "CVE-2026-22822: External Secrets Operator insecurely retrieves secrets through the getSecretKey templating function"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-22822/
description: "CVE-2026-22822 (github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets (Go)): External Secrets Operator reads information from a third-party service and automatically…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-01-21
date_modified: 2026-07-15
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-22822"
kev: false
cvss: 9.3
epss: 0.00192
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-22822: External Secrets Operator insecurely retrieves secrets through the getSecretKey templating function

**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 0.2% , percentile 8: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.2% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 8% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs local access needed. Lower urgency for most teams unless an attacker could already run code on the machine.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets (Go) >= 0.20.2, < 1.2.0, fixed in 1.2.0 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

External Secrets Operator reads information from a third-party service and automatically injects the values as Kubernetes Secrets. Starting in version 0.20.2 and prior to version 1.2.0, the getSecretKey template function, while introduced for senhasegura Devops Secrets Management (DSM) provider, has the ability to fetch secrets cross-namespaces with the roleBinding of the external-secrets controller, bypassing our security mechanisms. This function was completely removed in version 1.2.0, as everything done with that templating function can be done in a different way while respecting External Secrets Operator's safeguards As a workaround, use a policy engine such as Kubernetes, Kyverno, Kubewarden, or OPA to prevent the usage of getSecretKey in any ExternalSecret resource.

## Affected packages

- Go `github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets` >= 0.20.2, < 1.2.0 → fixed: 1.2.0

## Affected products (CVE record)

- external-secrets external-secrets: >= 0.20.2, < 1.2.0

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 4.0: 9.3 `CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`
- redhat-SADP CVSS 3.1: 8.8 `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 4.0: 9.3 `CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA: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): 0.19% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 8.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-77v3-r3jw-j2v2](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-77v3-r3jw-j2v2)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-22822](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-22822)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-22822](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-22822)
- [github.com](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/security/advisories/GHSA-77v3-r3jw-j2v2)
- [github.com](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/issues/5690)
- [github.com](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/pull/3895)
- [github.com](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/commit/17d3e22b8d3fbe339faf8515a95ec06ec92b1feb)
- [github.com](https://github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets/releases/tag/v1.2.0)
- [access.redhat.com](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-22822)
- [RHBZ#2431873](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2431873)
- [security.access.redhat.com](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-22822.json)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-22822/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt