{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2026-18677", "assignerOrgId": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "Kong", "dateReserved": "2026-08-03T15:20:45.630Z", "datePublished": "2026-08-12T18:47:06.710Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-08-12T18:47:06.710Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"providerMetadata": {"orgId": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "shortName": "Kong", "dateUpdated": "2026-08-12T18:47:06.710Z"}, "title": "Kong Mesh: a dataplane token without a workload binding can claim any workload's SPIFFE identity", "problemTypes": [{"descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "cweId": "CWE-290", "description": "CWE-290 Authentication Bypass by Spoofing", "type": "CWE"}]}], "impacts": [{"descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "Workload identity spoofing"}]}], "affected": [{"vendor": "Kong Inc.", "product": "Kong Mesh", "platforms": ["Linux"], "modules": ["kuma-cp"], "versions": [{"status": "affected", "version": "2.13.0", "lessThan": "2.13.10", "versionType": "semver"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "2.14.0", "lessThan": "2.14.2", "versionType": "semver"}], "defaultStatus": "unaffected"}], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "In Kong Mesh running in universal mode with a MeshIdentity whose SPIFFE ID path template derives from the dataplane's kuma.io/workload label, the XDS authenticator in kuma-cp validates that label only when the dataplane token is bound to a workload. Workload binding is optional, so a dataplane presenting a tags-bound token can register with kuma.io/workload set to any value and obtain another workload's SPIFFE identity.", "supportingMedia": [{"type": "text/html", "base64": false, "value": "<p>In Kong Mesh running in universal mode with a <code>MeshIdentity</code> whose SPIFFE ID path template derives from the dataplane's <code>kuma.io/workload</code> label, the XDS authenticator in <code>kuma-cp</code> validates that label only when the dataplane token is bound to a workload. Workload binding is optional, so a dataplane presenting a tags-bound token can register with <code>kuma.io/workload</code> set to any value and obtain another workload's SPIFFE identity.</p>"}]}], "references": [{"url": "https://github.com/kumahq/kuma/security/advisories/GHSA-744g-c785-x65q", "name": "Upstream advisory GHSA-744g-c785-x65q", "tags": ["vendor-advisory"]}, {"url": "https://github.com/kumahq/kuma/pull/17474", "name": "kumahq/kuma#17474 (master)", "tags": ["patch"]}, {"url": "https://github.com/kumahq/kuma/pull/17503", "name": "kumahq/kuma#17503 (release-2.13 backport)", "tags": ["patch"]}, {"url": "https://github.com/kumahq/kuma/pull/17502", "name": "kumahq/kuma#17502 (release-2.14 backport)", "tags": ["patch"]}, {"url": "https://developer.konghq.com/mesh/changelog/", "name": "Kong MESH Changelog", "tags": ["release-notes"]}], "metrics": [{"format": "CVSS", "scenarios": [{"lang": "en", "value": "GENERAL"}], "cvssV4_0": {"attackVector": "NETWORK", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackRequirements": "PRESENT", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "userInteraction": "NONE", "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH", "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "vulnIntegrityImpact": "LOW", "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED", "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED", "Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED", "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED", "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED", "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED", "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED", "version": "4.0", "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "baseScore": 6, "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"}}], "configurations": [{"lang": "en", "value": "You are affected if all of the following hold:\n\n * The control plane runs in universal mode.\n * A MeshIdentity is configured whose SPIFFE ID path template derives from the workload label, including the default universal template /workload/{{ .Workload }}.\n * Dataplanes authenticate with tokens that are not bound to a workload (tags-bound tokens, the common case, since workload binding is newer and optional).\n\n\n\n\nYou are not affected if:\n\n * The control plane runs in Kubernetes mode. Its identity template is /ns/{{ .Namespace }}/sa/{{ .ServiceAccount }}, and the control plane derives those values from the pod's real identity rather than from a label the workload sets.\n * Your MeshIdentity uses a SPIFFE template that does not reference the workload label.\n * Every dataplane whose identity derives from the workload label already uses a workload-bound token.", "supportingMedia": [{"type": "text/html", "base64": false, "value": "<p>You are affected if all of the following hold:</p><ul><li>The control plane runs in universal mode.</li><li>A <code>MeshIdentity</code> is configured whose SPIFFE ID path template derives from the workload label, including the default universal template <code>/workload/{{ .Workload }}</code>.</li><li>Dataplanes authenticate with tokens that are not bound to a workload (tags-bound tokens, the common case, since workload binding is newer and optional).</li></ul><p>You are not affected if:</p><ul><li>The control plane runs in Kubernetes mode. Its identity template is <code>/ns/{{ .Namespace }}/sa/{{ .ServiceAccount }}</code>, and the control plane derives those values from the pod's real identity rather than from a label the workload sets.</li><li>Your <code>MeshIdentity</code> uses a SPIFFE template that does not reference the workload label.</li><li>Every dataplane whose identity derives from the workload label already uses a workload-bound token.</li></ul>"}]}], "workarounds": [{"lang": "en", "value": "Issue workload-bound dataplane tokens for every dataplane whose identity derives from the kuma.io/workload label. A workload-bound token constrains that label to the bound value, so a mismatched label is rejected at authentication.", "supportingMedia": [{"type": "text/html", "base64": false, "value": "<p>Issue workload-bound dataplane tokens for every dataplane whose identity derives from the <code>kuma.io/workload</code> label. A workload-bound token constrains that label to the bound value, so a mismatched label is rejected at authentication.</p>"}]}], "solutions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "Upgrade to Kong Mesh 2.13.10 or 2.14.2, whichever matches your release line. In patched versions a dataplane whose identity derives from the kuma.io/workload label requires a workload-bound token; an unbound tags-only token is rejected at XDS authentication. Kubernetes mode and universal templates that do not reference the workload label keep working with unbound tokens.", "supportingMedia": [{"type": "text/html", "base64": false, "value": "<p>Upgrade to Kong Mesh 2.13.10 or 2.14.2, whichever matches your release line. In patched versions a dataplane whose identity derives from the <code>kuma.io/workload</code> label requires a workload-bound token; an unbound tags-only token is rejected at XDS authentication. Kubernetes mode and universal templates that do not reference the workload label keep working with unbound tokens.</p>"}]}], "timeline": [{"time": "2026-08-01T16:58:00.000Z", "lang": "en", "value": "Kong Mesh 2.13.10 and 2.14.2 published"}], "credits": [{"lang": "en", "value": "kanywst", "type": "finder"}], "source": {"discovery": "EXTERNAL"}}}}

{}

{"affected": [{"affectedData": [{"defaultStatus": "unaffected", "modules": ["kuma-cp"], "platforms": ["Linux"], "product": "Kong Mesh", "vendor": "Kong Inc.", "versions": [{"lessThan": "2.13.10", "status": "affected", "version": "2.13.0", "versionType": "semver"}, {"lessThan": "2.14.2", "status": "affected", "version": "2.14.0", "versionType": "semver"}]}], "source": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb"}], "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "In Kong Mesh running in universal mode with a MeshIdentity whose SPIFFE ID path template derives from the dataplane's kuma.io/workload label, the XDS authenticator in kuma-cp validates that label only when the dataplane token is bound to a workload. Workload binding is optional, so a dataplane presenting a tags-bound token can register with kuma.io/workload set to any value and obtain another workload's SPIFFE identity."}], "id": "CVE-2026-18677", "lastModified": "2026-08-12T19:17:31.063", "metrics": {"cvssMetricV40": [{"cvssData": {"Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED", "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED", "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackRequirements": "PRESENT", "attackVector": "NETWORK", "availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED", "baseScore": 6.0, "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED", "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED", "integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED", "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "userInteraction": "NONE", "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED", "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X", "version": "4.0", "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH", "vulnIntegrityImpact": "LOW", "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"}, "source": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "type": "Secondary"}]}, "published": "2026-08-12T19:17:31.063", "references": [{"source": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "url": "https://developer.konghq.com/mesh/changelog/"}, {"source": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "url": "https://github.com/kumahq/kuma/pull/17474"}, {"source": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "url": "https://github.com/kumahq/kuma/pull/17502"}, {"source": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "url": "https://github.com/kumahq/kuma/pull/17503"}, {"source": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "url": "https://github.com/kumahq/kuma/security/advisories/GHSA-744g-c785-x65q"}], "sourceIdentifier": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "vulnStatus": "Received", "weaknesses": [{"description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-290"}], "source": "02762ae7-200e-4b20-9b2b-a77d5b8fc4cb", "type": "Secondary"}]}

{}

{}