{"id":"CVE-2023-34091","aliases":["GHSA-hq4m-4948-64cc","GO-2023-1819"],"title":"Kyverno resource with a deletionTimestamp may allow policy circumvention","summary":"Kyverno resource with a deletionTimestamp may allow policy circumvention","severity":"medium","cvss":6.5,"cvssVector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","vendor":"kyverno","product":"github.com/kyverno/kyverno","ecosystem":"go","affected":["github.com/kyverno/kyverno < 1.10.0"],"patched":["github.com/kyverno/kyverno 1.10.0"],"published":"2023-06-05","updated":"2026-08-07","source":"OSV","sourceUrl":"https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-hq4m-4948-64cc","references":[{"url":"https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno/security/advisories/GHSA-hq4m-4948-64cc"},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-34091"},{"url":"https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno"},{"url":"https://github.com/kyverno/kyverno/releases/tag/v1.10.0"}],"tags":["osv","go"],"epss":0.00497,"epssPercentile":0.41656,"ingestedAt":"2026-08-07T19:14:17.254Z","slug":"CVE-2023-34091","body":"## Overview\n\n### Impact\n\nIn versions of Kyverno prior to 1.10.0, resources which have the `deletionTimestamp` field defined can bypass validate, generate, or mutate-existing policies, even in cases where the `validationFailureAction` field is set to `Enforce`. \n\nThis situation occurs as resources pending deletion were being consciously exempted by Kyverno, as a way to reduce processing load as policies are typically not applied to objects which are being deleted. \n\nHowever, this could potentially result in allowing a malicious user to leverage the [Kubernetes finalizers feature](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/finalizers/) by setting a finalizer which causes the Kubernetes API server to set the `deletionTimestamp` and then not completing the delete operation as a way to explicitly to bypass a Kyverno policy. \n\nNote that this is not applicable to Kubernetes Pods but, as an example, a Kubernetes Service resource can be manipulated using an indefinite finalizer to bypass policies.\n\n\n### Patches\nThis is resolved in Kyverno 1.10.0.\n\n### Workarounds\nThere is no known workaround.\n\n### References\n_Are there any links users can visit to find out more?_\n\n\n## Affected packages\n\n- `github.com/kyverno/kyverno < 1.10.0`\n\n## Remediation\n\nUpgrade to a patched release:\n\n- `github.com/kyverno/kyverno 1.10.0`","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":36,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":35.8,"likelihood":0.1,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}