---
title: "CVE-2026-42880: ArgoCD ServerSideDiff is vulnerable to Kubernetes Secret Extraction"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-42880/
description: "CVE-2026-42880 (github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 (Go)): Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. From versions 3.2.0 to…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-05-07
date_modified: 2026-09-07
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-42880"
kev: false
cvss: 9.6
epss: 0.00564
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-42880: ArgoCD ServerSideDiff is vulnerable to Kubernetes Secret Extraction

**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?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 0.6% , percentile 46: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.6% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 46% of all scored CVEs (low). 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/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 (Go) >= 3.2.0, < 3.2.11, fixed in 3.2.11 ; github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3 (Go) >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.9, fixed in 3.3.9 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

Argo CD is a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes. From versions 3.2.0 to before 3.2.11 and 3.3.0 to before 3.3.9, there is a missing authorization and data-masking gap in Argo CD's ServerSideDiff endpoint that allows an attacker with read-only access to extract plaintext Kubernetes Secret data from etcd via the Kubernetes API server's Server-Side Apply dry-run mechanism. This issue has been patched in versions 3.2.11 and 3.3.9.

## Affected packages

- Go `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3` >= 3.2.0, < 3.2.11 → fixed: 3.2.11
- Go `github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v3` >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.9 → fixed: 3.3.9

## Affected products (CVE record)

- argoproj argo-cd: >= 3.2.0, < 3.2.11, >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.9

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 9.6 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`
- redhat-SADP CVSS 3.1: 7.7 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.6 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`

## 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): 0.56% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 46.

## Sources

- [access.redhat.com](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:20943)
- [access.redhat.com](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:20947)
- [access.redhat.com](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2026:12433)
- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-3v3m-wc6v-x4x3](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-3v3m-wc6v-x4x3)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-42880](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-42880)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-42880](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42880)
- [github.com](https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/security/advisories/GHSA-3v3m-wc6v-x4x3)
- [access.redhat.com](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-42880)
- [RHBZ#2467882](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2467882)
- [security.access.redhat.com](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-42880.json)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-42880/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt