CVE-2026-77524: Improper Privilege Management Flaw in kedacore keda Scores 9.9 on CVSS
A newly published critical vulnerability in kedacore keda carries a CVSS score of 9.9. Here is what is affected and how to respond.
Key points
- CVE-2026-77524 affects kedacore keda.
- CVSS 9.9 (Critical).
- No exploitation confirmed yet.
A critical improper privilege management tracked as CVE-2026-77524 has been published in the National Vulnerability Database for kedacore keda, with a CVSS base score of 9.9.
At a glance
- CVE
- CVE-2026-77524
- Product
- kedacore keda
- CVSS
- 9.9 Critical
- Weakness
- improper privilege management
- Exploited
- No known exploitation
What is the vulnerability?
The NVD entry states: KEDA is a Kubernetes-based Event Driven Autoscaling component. In version 2.20.2 and earlier, a namespace administrator who can create TriggerAuthentication and ScaledObject resources can set hashiCorpVault.address to a tenant-controlled endpoint and select Kubernetes authentication without an explicit credential. KEDA then uses the operator pod's projected ServiceAccount token and sends it to that endpoint as a Vault login credential. The JWT-shape filter from the prior CVE-2025-68476 remediation accepts the operator token because its subject is a Kubernetes ServiceAccount, so the attacker can obtain the operator's cluster-wide permissions, including broad Secret reads and workload or admission-related operations. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.21.0.
Affected versions
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Kedacore | keda | < 2.21.0 |
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
Is it being exploited?
There is no public confirmation of exploitation at the time of publication. It does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. We will update this report if that changes.
What should you do?
- Identify whether the affected product and versions run in your environment.
- Apply the vendor update listed in the advisory as soon as it is available.
- Limit network exposure of the affected service until it is patched.
- Monitor the vendor advisory for updated guidance or exploitation reports.
What to do and how to stay safe: CVE-2026-77524
- Vulnerability severity scores ignore your specific architecture and context.
- Exploitability depends on network exposure and user behavior, not just code flaws.
- Prioritization requires continuous asset inventory and threat intelligence alignment.
Risk-based vulnerability management focuses your limited resources on the flaws that actually threaten your business. Start by mapping your critical assets and checking for active exploits to prioritize your backlog.
Step-by-step guide: Risk-Based Vulnerability Management: Prioritize Fixes by Actual Danger
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2026-77524?
CVE-2026-77524 is a improper privilege management vulnerability in kedacore keda.
How severe is CVE-2026-77524?
It has a CVSS score of 9.9 Critical.
Is CVE-2026-77524 being exploited?
There is no public confirmation of exploitation at the time of publication.
