Description
A flaw was found in the OpenShift GitOps operator. The ClusterRole reconciler does not validate resource ownership when reconciling ClusterRole objects. A namespace-scoped Argo CD instance can trigger deletion of a ClusterRole owned by a cluster-scoped Argo CD instance by crafting a name collision, resulting in a denial of service.
Published: 2026-07-15
Score: 7.7 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

Impact

The OpenShift GitOps operator’s ClusterRole reconciler fails to enforce namespace scoping when reconciling ClusterRole objects, creating a missing authorization check (CWE‑862). A user who can control a namespace‑scoped Argo CD instance can craft a name collision with a cluster‑scoped ClusterRole, causing the reconciler to delete that role. Removal of a ClusterRole can interrupt all actions that depend on it, effectively denying service. The impact therefore spans service interruption within the cluster.

Affected Systems

Red Hat OpenShift GitOps deployments are affected. All releases that include the default reconciler logic are vulnerable; specific version ranges are not enumerated in the advisory.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7.7 classifies the issue as high severity. The EPSS score is below 1 %, indicating a very low probability of exploitation, and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, suggesting a moderate overall risk. The likely attack vector involves an attacker controlling a namespace‑scoped Argo CD instance with the ability to create objects that collide with existing cluster‑scoped ClusterRoles; after the collision is established, the reconciler deletes the role without needing elevated privileges. This inference is drawn from the description which states that a namespace‑scoped instance can trigger deletion of a ClusterRole owned by a cluster‑scoped instance through a name collision.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on August 1, 2026 at 09:01 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply the latest Red Hat OpenShift GitOps patch that restores the missing namespace validation step.
  • Restrict permissions granted to namespace‑scoped Argo CD instances so they cannot create or delete cluster‑scoped ClusterRoles.
  • Audit existing ClusterRoles for name collisions, restore any that were mistakenly removed, and monitor for further deletion attempts.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on August 1, 2026 at 09:01 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

threat_severity

Important


Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A flaw was found in the OpenShift GitOps operator. The ClusterRole reconciler does not validate resource ownership when reconciling ClusterRole objects. A namespace-scoped Argo CD instance can trigger deletion of a ClusterRole owned by a cluster-scoped Argo CD instance by crafting a name collision, resulting in a denial of service.
Title Gitops-operator: gitops-operator: missing allowednamespace check in reconcilerhook for clusterrole/role cases enables potential privilege escalation and dos
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat openshift Gitops
Weaknesses CWE-862
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift_gitops:1
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat openshift Gitops
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H'}


Subscriptions

Redhat Openshift Gitops
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: redhat

Published:

Updated: 2026-07-16T15:12:26.794Z

Reserved: 2026-06-30T14:20:10.616Z

Link: CVE-2026-14251

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-07-16T15:12:17.212Z

cve-icon NVD

No data.

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2026-07-06T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2026-14251 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-08-01T09:15:03Z

Weaknesses