CVE-2026-25518 MEDIUM

CVE-2026-25518: cert-manager-controller DoS via Specially Crafted DNS Response

Vendor Cert-Manager
Product cert-manager
Weakness CWE-129
Published February 4, 2026
Last update February 5, 2026

CVSS base score

5.9/10
Attack vector Network
Attack complexity High
Privileges required None
User interaction None
Confidentiality None
Integrity None

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

What the vulnerability does

01Description

cert-manager adds certificates and certificate issuers as resource types in Kubernetes clusters, and simplifies the process of obtaining, renewing and using those certificates. In versions from 1.18.0 to before 1.18.5 and from 1.19.0 to before 1.19.3, the cert-manager-controller performs DNS lookups during ACME DNS-01 processing (for zone discovery and propagation self-checks). By default, these lookups use standard unencrypted DNS. An attacker who can intercept and modify DNS traffic from the cert-manager-controller pod can insert a crafted entry into cert-manager's DNS cache. Accessing this entry will trigger a panic, resulting in denial‑of‑service (DoS) of the cert-manager controller. The issue can also be exploited if the authoritative DNS server for the domain being validated is controlled by a malicious actor. This issue has been patched in versions 1.18.5 and 1.19.3.

Key dates

02Disclosure timeline

February 4, 2026 CVE published
February 5, 2026 Record updated