---
id: CVE-2021-25320
aliases:
  - GHSA-gqf8-rvrh-g7w6
  - GO-2026-4589
title: >-
  Rancher cloud credentials can be used through proxy API by users without
  access
summary: >-
  Rancher cloud credentials can be used through proxy API by users without
  access
severity: critical
cvss: 9.9
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H'
vendor: rancher
product: github.com/rancher/rancher
ecosystem: go
affected:
  - 'github.com/rancher/rancher >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.16'
  - 'github.com/rancher/rancher >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.9'
patched:
  - github.com/rancher/rancher 2.4.16
  - github.com/rancher/rancher 2.5.9
published: '2026-03-03'
updated: '2026-07-10'
source: OSV
sourceUrl: 'https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-gqf8-rvrh-g7w6'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/rancher/rancher/security/advisories/GHSA-gqf8-rvrh-g7w6'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-25320'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1185514'
  - url: 'https://github.com/rancher/rancher'
tags:
  - osv
  - go
epss: 0.00855
epssPercentile: 0.56541
ingestedAt: '2026-07-11T18:57:04.555Z'
---

## Overview

A vulnerability was discovered in Rancher 2.2.0 through the aforementioned patched versions, where cloud credentials weren't being properly validated through the Rancher API. Specifically through a proxy designed to communicate with cloud providers. Any Rancher user that was logged-in and aware of a cloud-credential ID that was valid for a given cloud provider, could call that cloud provider's API through the proxy API, and the cloud-credential would be attached. The exploit is limited to valid Rancher users. There is not a direct mitigation outside of upgrading to the patched Rancher versions.

## Affected packages

- `github.com/rancher/rancher >= 2.2.0, < 2.4.16`
- `github.com/rancher/rancher >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.9`

## Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

- `github.com/rancher/rancher 2.4.16`
- `github.com/rancher/rancher 2.5.9`