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Gitops ToolsApplication · Weave

CVE-2022-35976

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-08-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 0.20.9 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The GitOps Tools Extension for VSCode relies on kubeconfigs in order to communicate with Kubernetes clusters. A specially crafted kubeconfig leads to arbitrary code execution on behalf of the user running VSCode. Users relying on kubeconfigs that are generated or altered by other processes or users are affected by this issue. Please note that the vulnerability is specific to this extension, and the same kubeconfig would not result in arbitrary code execution when used with kubectl. Using only trust-worthy kubeconfigs is a safe mitigation. However, updating to the latest version of the extension is still highly recommended.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The GitOps Tools Extension for VSCode contains a vulnerability where specially crafted kubeconfig files can trigger arbitrary code execution when processed by the extension. The extension processes kubeconfigs in a dangerous manner that differs from kubectl's safe handling, allowing injection of malicious commands. This is a critical (CVSS 9.8) pre-authentication vulnerability exploitable through malicious kubeconfig files.

MitigationUpdate to the latest version of the GitOps Tools Extension for VSCode. Additionally, only use kubeconfigs from trusted sources and avoid kubeconfigs generated or modified by untrusted processes or users.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Gitops ToolsApplication
Affected:>= 0.5.0, <= 0.20.9

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Weave GitOps Tools extension installation
    Open VSCode and navigate to Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X), or run 'code --list-extensions' from command line to list all installed extensions. Look for 'Weave GitOps Tools' or 'Weaveworks.gitops' in the output.
    Affected if The extension is not installed, the vulnerability does not apply.
  2. Determine the installed version number
    In VSCode Extensions panel, click on Weave GitOps Tools extension to view its details. The version number is displayed under the extension name (e.g., 'v0.20.9'). Alternatively, check extension manifest in ~/.vscode/extensions/ folder for the installed version.
    Affected if Cannot determine version - proceed with caution assuming affected.
  3. Compare version against affected range
    Check if the installed version falls within >= 0.5.0 and <= 0.20.9. Note that version 0.5.0 itself is affected, and version 0.20.9 is the last affected version in the range.
    Affected if Version is 0.5.0, 0.20.9, or any version in between (e.g., 0.6.0, 0.15.2, 0.20.8).
  4. Confirm kubeconfig processing usage
    Verify whether the extension has been used to load, import, or interact with kubeconfig files in the VSCode environment. Check recent extension activity or workspace configurations that reference kubeconfig paths.
    Affected if Extension processes kubeconfig files - this is the attack vector for code execution.

You are affected if the Weave GitOps Tools extension version is between 0.5.0 and 0.20.9 (inclusive) AND you have used the extension to process kubeconfig files.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 0.20.9
Interim mitigation

Update to the latest version of the GitOps Tools Extension for VSCode. Additionally, only use kubeconfigs from trusted sources and avoid kubeconfigs generated or modified by untrusted processes or users.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Update to the latest available version of the GitOps Tools extension (version > 0.20.9)

  1. Open VSCode and navigate to the Extensions panel
  2. Search for 'GitOps Tools' or 'Weave GitOps' extension
  3. Click on the extension and note the current version (should be <= 0.20.9 if affected)
  4. Click 'Update' to install the latest available version
  5. After update, verify the installed version is > 0.20.9
  6. Restart VSCode to ensure the update takes full effect
  7. Review any kubeconfig files in use to ensure they are from trusted sources

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Gitops Tools Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-35976 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data