Tekton PipelinesApplication · Linuxfoundation
CVE-2026-40161
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 · uneditedTekton Pipelines project provides k8s-style resources for declaring CI/CD-style pipelines. Starting in version 1.0.0 and prior to versions 1.0.2, 1.3.4, 1.6.2, 1.9.3, and 1.11.1, the Tekton Pipelines git resolver in API mode sends the system-configured Git API token to a user-controlled serverURL when the user omits the token parameter. A tenant with TaskRun or PipelineRun create permission can exfiltrate the shared API token (GitHub PAT, GitLab token, etc.) by pointing serverURL to an attacker-controlled endpoint. Versions 1.0.2, 1.3.4, 1.6.2, 1.9.3, and 1.11.1 fix the issue.
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 confidenceThe Tekton Pipelines git resolver in API mode improperly uses the system-configured Git API token when a user omits the token parameter, sending it to a user-specified serverURL. A tenant with TaskRun or PipelineRun create permissions can exfiltrate the system's shared GitHub PAT, GitLab token, or similar API token by pointing serverURL to an attacker-controlled endpoint.
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
Tekton PipelinesApplication
>= 1.0.0, <= 1.10.0CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Tekton Pipelines versionRun 'kubectl get tektonpipelines -A -o jsonpath='{.items[*].spec.version}' or check the tekton-pipelines-controller deployment image tagAffected if Installed version is between 1.0.0 and 1.10.0 inclusive
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Verify git resolver is deployedCheck for 'git-resolver' deployment or configmap in the tekton-pipelines namespace: 'kubectl get deployment -n tekton-pipelines | grep git' or 'kubectl get configmap -n tekton-pipelines | grep git'Affected if The git resolver component exists in the cluster
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Identify system-configured Git API tokenInspect the 'config-git' or 'config-credentials' configmap in tekton-pipelines namespace: 'kubectl get configmap -n tekton-pipelines -o yaml | grep -i token' or check for Secret resources of type 'kubernetes.io/basic-auth' used by git resolverAffected if A system-level Git API token/credential is configured and available to the git resolver
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Check who can create TaskRun/PipelineRun resourcesRun 'kubectl auth can-i create taskrun --as=<username>' for various users/groups, or review ClusterRoleBindings/RoleBindings that grant TaskRun/PipelineRun create permissionsAffected if Users other than cluster admins have permission to create TaskRun or PipelineRun resources in any namespace
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Inspect existing TaskRun/PipelineRun for git resolver usageCheck running TaskRuns/PipelineRuns for spec.resources[].paths containing 'url' pointing to external git servers, or review any TaskRun/PipelineRun specs that omit the 'token' parameter while using a custom 'serverURL'Affected if Any TaskRun or PipelineRun in the environment uses the git resolver without an explicit token parameter but with a user-specified serverURL
A user is affected if Tekton Pipelines version is between 1.0.0-1.10.0, the git resolver is deployed, a system-configured Git token exists, and tenants have TaskRun/PipelineRun create permissions allowing them to specify arbitrary serverURL values.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedUpgrade Tekton Pipelines to version 1.0.2, 1.3.4, 1.6.2, 1.9.3, 1.11.1 or later. As a temporary mitigation, avoid using system-configured Git API tokens and require users to provide their own tokens, or restrict who can create TaskRun/PipelineRun resources.
Upgrade to Tekton Pipelines version 1.11.1 or later
- Identify the currently installed Tekton Pipelines version using: kubectl get tektonconfig -o jsonpath='{.items[0].status.version}'
- Determine which release line your current version belongs to (1.0.x, 1.1.x-1.3.x, 1.4.x-1.6.x, 1.7.x-1.9.x, or 1.10.x)
- Upgrade to the appropriate fixed version for your release line: 1.0.2, 1.3.4, 1.6.2, 1.9.3, or 1.11.1 respectively
- Apply the upgrade using your Kubernetes provider's Tekton operator upgrade procedure (e.g., kubectl apply -f for raw manifests or using the operator's upgrade path)
- Verify the upgrade succeeded: kubectl get tektonconfig -o jsonpath='{.items[0].status.version}'
- Review TaskRun and PipelineRun resources to ensure no user-provided serverURL parameters are missing tokens (this prevents reliance on the now-safer default behavior)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Tekton Pipelines
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-40161 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-40161 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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