Cert-manager: potential dos when parsing specially crafted pem inputs
cve-program · CVE-2024-12401
PublishedA flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for the cert-manager in the cluster.
Read the publisher's advisoryeuvd · EUVD-2024-3471
PublishedA flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for the cert-manager in the cluster.
Read the publisher's advisorynvd · CVE-2024-12401
PublishedA flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for the cert-manager in the cluster.
Read the publisher's advisoryosv · GHSA-ghw8-3xqw-hhcj
Withdrawn# Duplicate Advisory This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-r4pg-vg54-wxx4. This link is maintained to preserve external references. # Original Description A flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for the cert-manager in the cluster.
Read the publisher's advisoryosv · GHSA-r4pg-vg54-wxx4
Published### Impact cert-manager packages which call the standard library `pem.Decode()` function can take a long time to process specially crafted invalid PEM data. If an attacker is able to modify PEM data which cert-manager reads (e.g. in a Secret resource), they may be able to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for cert-manager in the cluster. Secrets are limited in size to [1MiB](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/secret/#restriction-data-size), which reduces the impact of this issue; it was discovered through an ~856kB fuzz test input which causes `pem.Decode` to take roughly 750ms to reject the input on an M2 Max Macbook Pro. By way of comparison, a valid PEM-encoded 4096-bit RSA key takes roughly 70µs to parse on the same machine. Given the required size of PEM data needed to present a realistic DoS vector, an attacker would need to create or insert many different large sized resources in the cluster, and so the best secondary defense is to ensure that sensible limits are placed via RBAC. This issue affects all versions of cert-manager to have been released since at least v0.1.0 (since `pem.Decode` is core functionality for cert-manager). All [supported releases](https://cert-manager.io/docs/releases/) are patched. ### Patches The fixed versions are v1.16.2, v1.15.4 and v1.12.14. - master branch: https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/7400 - release-1.16 branch: https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/7401 - release-1.15 branch: https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/7402 - release-1.12 branch: https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/7403 ### Workarounds Ensure that RBAC is scoped correctly in your cluster. If a user is able to modify resources containing PEM data to be able to exploit this, it's like that those permissions are a bigger security threat than this issue - especially for Secret resources. ### References - Upstream issue: https://github.com/golang/go/issues/50116 - Similar issue: https://github.com/sigstore/sigstore/issues/198 - Google OSSFuzz: https://issues.oss-fuzz.com/issues/376728466
Read the publisher's advisoryosv · GO-2024-3282
PublishedPotential slowdown / DoS when parsing specially crafted PEM inputs in github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager
Read the publisher's advisoryAffected versions, risk and source history
Exploitation and risk
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cve-program · CVE-2024-12401
PublishedCert-manager: potential dos when parsing specially crafted pem inputs
A flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for the cert-manager in the cluster.
- Source published
- 12 Dec 2024 09:06:03 UTC
- Source modified
- 26 Jun 2026 04:27:26 UTC
- Saved here
- 23 Oct 2026 15:48:27 UTC
- Source terms
- CVE Program Terms of Use
Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON
Source: cve-program · CVE Program Terms of Use. The publisher's wording is preserved. ChangeIntel groups the information and labels changes. The JSON record includes additional source fields.
CVSS 3.1 · 4.4 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
euvd · EUVD-2024-3471
PublishedA flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively…
A flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for the cert-manager in the cluster.
Additional publisher context
EUVD source date text has no stated timezone and is retained without inventing a UTC instant. Related bulletin membership is not an alias, common cause or applicability claim. A missing vector with a zero score is treated as unrated. Complete vendor/product and underlying source evidence remains in the original JSON.
Original publisher date fields
datePublished: Dec 12, 2024, 9:06:03 AM
dateUpdated: Jun 26, 2026, 4:27:26 AM
2 related source bulletins · separate from aliases
msrc_CVE-2024-12401: Cert-manager: potential dos when parsing specially crafted pem inputs
CVE-2024-12401
openSUSE-SU-2024:14599-1: govulncheck-vulndb-0.0.20241213T205935-1.1 on GA media
CVE-2020-10696 · CVE-2020-8912 · CVE-2022-31668 · CVE-2023-26248 · CVE-2023-3676 · CVE-2023-3955 · CVE-2024-12401 · CVE-2024-37032 · CVE-2024-44337 · CVE-2024-45039 · CVE-2024-45337 · CVE-2024-45436 · CVE-2024-46455 · CVE-2024-46528 · CVE-2024-53257 · CVE-2024-53859 · CVE-2024-55601 · CVE-2024-55657 · CVE-2024-55658 · CVE-2024-55659 · CVE-2024-55660
- Source published
- Dec 12, 2024, 9:06:03 AM (timezone not stated)
- Source modified
- Jun 26, 2026, 4:27:26 AM (timezone not stated)
- Saved here
- 15 Nov 2026 00:38:34 UTC
- Source terms
- ENISA EUVD · source terms and attribution apply
Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON
Source: euvd · ENISA EUVD · source terms and attribution apply. The publisher's wording is preserved. ChangeIntel groups the information and labels changes. The JSON record includes additional source fields.
EUVD CVSS 3.1 · 4.4 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd · CVE-2024-12401
PublishedA flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively…
A flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for the cert-manager in the cluster.
Additional publisher context
NVD analysis and CPE criteria are source context, not proof that a package or your environment is affected. Complete affected data, logical configurations and SSVC are retained in the original JSON.
Source analysis status: Deferred
Weakness classifications: CWE-20
Original publisher date fields
published: 2024-12-12T09:15:05.790
lastModified: 2026-06-26T05:16:25.573
- Source published
- 12 Dec 2024 09:15:05 UTC
- Source modified
- 26 Jun 2026 05:16:25 UTC
- Saved here
- 24 Oct 2026 23:17:16 UTC
- Source terms
- NIST NVD usage terms; underlying source attribution retained
Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON
Source: nvd · NIST NVD usage terms; underlying source attribution retained. The publisher's wording is preserved. ChangeIntel groups the information and labels changes. The JSON record includes additional source fields.
CVSS 3.1 · [email protected] · Secondary · 4.4 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
osv · GHSA-ghw8-3xqw-hhcj
WithdrawnDuplicate Advisory: cert-manager ha a potential slowdown / DoS when parsing specially crafted PEM inputs
# Duplicate Advisory This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-r4pg-vg54-wxx4. This link is maintained to preserve external references. # Original Description A flaw was found in the cert-manager package. This flaw allows an attacker who can modify PEM data that the cert-manager reads, for example, in a Secret resource, to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for the cert-manager in the cluster.
- Source published
- 12 Dec 2024 09:31:36 UTC
- Source modified
- 10 Sep 2026 03:50:56 UTC
- Saved here
- 24 Oct 2026 13:19:41 UTC
- Source terms
- GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0
Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON
Source: osv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0. The publisher's wording is preserved. ChangeIntel groups the information and labels changes. The JSON record includes additional source fields.
CVSS_V3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Publisher rating · MODERATE
osv · GHSA-r4pg-vg54-wxx4
Publishedcert-manager ha a potential slowdown / DoS when parsing specially crafted PEM inputs
### Impact cert-manager packages which call the standard library `pem.Decode()` function can take a long time to process specially crafted invalid PEM data. If an attacker is able to modify PEM data which cert-manager reads (e.g. in a Secret resource), they may be able to use large amounts of CPU in the cert-manager controller pod to effectively create a denial-of-service (DoS) vector for cert-manager in the cluster. Secrets are limited in size to [1MiB](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/secret/#restriction-data-size), which reduces the impact of this issue; it was discovered through an ~856kB fuzz test input which causes `pem.Decode` to take roughly 750ms to reject the input on an M2 Max Macbook Pro. By way of comparison, a valid PEM-encoded 4096-bit RSA key takes roughly 70µs to parse on the same machine. Given the required size of PEM data needed to present a realistic DoS vector, an attacker would need to create or insert many different large sized resources in the cluster, and so the best secondary defense is to ensure that sensible limits are placed via RBAC. This issue affects all versions of cert-manager to have been released since at least v0.1.0 (since `pem.Decode` is core functionality for cert-manager). All [supported releases](https://cert-manager.io/docs/releases/) are patched. ### Patches The fixed versions are v1.16.2, v1.15.4 and v1.12.14. - master branch: https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/7400 - release-1.16 branch: https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/7401 - release-1.15 branch: https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/7402 - release-1.12 branch: https://github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pull/7403 ### Workarounds Ensure that RBAC is scoped correctly in your cluster. If a user is able to modify resources containing PEM data to be able to exploit this, it's like that those permissions are a bigger security threat than this issue - especially for Secret resources. ### References - Upstream issue: https://github.com/golang/go/issues/50116 - Similar issue: https://github.com/sigstore/sigstore/issues/198 - Google OSSFuzz: https://issues.oss-fuzz.com/issues/376728466
- Source published
- 20 Nov 2024 20:48:11 UTC
- Source modified
- 10 Sep 2026 03:50:20 UTC
- Saved here
- 24 Oct 2026 13:19:41 UTC
- Source terms
- GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0
Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON
Source: osv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0. The publisher's wording is preserved. ChangeIntel groups the information and labels changes. The JSON record includes additional source fields.
CVSS_V4 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Publisher rating · MODERATE
osv · GO-2024-3282
PublishedPotential slowdown / DoS when parsing specially crafted PEM inputs in github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager
Potential slowdown / DoS when parsing specially crafted PEM inputs in github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager
- Source published
- 21 Nov 2024 19:52:52 UTC
- Source modified
- 4 Feb 2026 03:32:41 UTC
- Saved here
- 24 Oct 2026 13:19:41 UTC
- Source terms
- OSV · upstream source license applies
Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON
Source: osv · OSV · upstream source license applies. The publisher's wording is preserved. ChangeIntel groups the information and labels changes. The JSON record includes additional source fields.