A configuration flaw in Argo Workflows allows users with the ‘create Workflow’ permission to bypass the templateReferencing Strict mode. By exploiting this, an attacker can gain host network access, switch service accounts, override pod security contexts, add tolerations to schedule on control‑plane nodes, or enable service account token mounting. The flaw is classified as CWE‑863 (Improper Authorization). The resulting compromise depends on the cluster’s own security policies; if the cluster relies solely on Argo’s Strict mode, the attacker can elevate privileges to the level required to run arbitrary containers on the host or to impersonate privileged service accounts.

The issue affects the open‑source container‑native workflow engine Argo Workflows, as distributed by argoproj. Versions prior to 3.7.14 for the v3 branch and prior to 4.0.5 for the v4 branch are vulnerable.

The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 8.1, indicating high severity. An EPSS score is not provided, and the defect is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog. The exploitation requires a user with Workflow creation rights; once such a user is compromised or malicious, the attacker can inject privileged configurations into new workflows, potentially bypassing Kubernetes admission controls such as PodSecurity admission or OPA/Gatekeeper if those are the only protective layers. The attack vector is likely through the Argo API or user interface, where the attacker submits a workflow that leverages the bypassed Strict mode.