How severe is CVE-2021-20218?

CVE-2021-20218 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-20218 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (68th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-20218?

CVE-2021-20218 primarily affects Redhat Kubernetes-client. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-20218?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2021-20218 published?

CVE-2021-20218 was published on 2021-03-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-20218

CVE-2021-20218 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Kubernetes-client with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-22.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.4)
CVSS v2: 5.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (68th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Redhat Kubernetes-client
Published: 2021-03-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A flaw was found in the fabric8 kubernetes-client in version 4.2.0 and after. This flaw allows a malicious pod/container to cause applications using the fabric8 kubernetes-client `copy` command to extract files outside the working path. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to integrity and system availability. This has been fixed in kubernetes-client-4.13.2 kubernetes-client-5.0.2 kubernetes-client-4.11.2 kubernetes-client-4.7.2

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-20218?: A flaw was found in the fabric8 kubernetes-client in version 4.2.0 and after. This flaw allows a malicious pod/container to cause applications using the fabric8 kubernetes-client `copy` command to extract files outside the working path. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to integrity and system availability. This has been fixed in kubernetes-client-4.13.2 kubernetes-client-5.0.2 kubernetes-client-4.11.2 kubernetes-client-4.7.2
How severe is CVE-2021-20218?: CVE-2021-20218 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-20218 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (68th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-20218?: CVE-2021-20218 primarily affects Redhat Kubernetes-client. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-20218?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-20218 published?: CVE-2021-20218 was published on 2021-03-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (9)

cpe:2.3:a:redhat:kubernetes-client:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:a-mq_online:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:build_of_quarkus:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:codeready_studio:12.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:descision_manager:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:integration_camel_k:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:jboss_fuse:7.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:3.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:process_automation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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