Fission runtime pods automount the fission-fetcher service-account token into the user function container, granting function code namespace-wide secret / configmap read
Description
Summary
Fission runtime pods were created with ServiceAccountName: fission-fetcher, and the fission-fetcher ServiceAccount was granted namespace-wide get on secrets and configmaps (it needs that to load function code, env vars, and config). The runtime pod's automounted token was reachable from inside the user's function container at /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token, so user-supplied function code inherited the same Kubernetes API privileges and could read any secret or configmap in the function's namespace — far beyond the Function.spec.secrets allowlist that the function specification suggests.
Affected component
pkg/executor/executortype/poolmgr/gp_deployment.go:154-156— pool-manager runtime podServiceAccountName.pkg/executor/executortype/newdeploy/newdeploy.go:225-227— new-deploy runtime podServiceAccountName.pkg/utils/serviceaccount.go:51-64—fission-fetcherRBAC: namespace-widegetonsecrets/configmaps.
Impact
A user able to deploy or update a function in any namespace where Fission runtime pods are scheduled could:
- Read every secret in that namespace (TLS keys, OIDC client secrets, database credentials, cloud provider credentials).
- Read every configmap in that namespace.
- Use those credentials to pivot to other Kubernetes resources or external systems the secrets unlock.
This violates the principle that Function.spec.secrets is the authoritative declaration of which secrets a function can read.
Root cause
The fetcher sidecar legitimately needs the SA token to call the Fission control plane and fetch package archives. Setting ServiceAccountName: fission-fetcher on the pod gives every container in the pod (including the user container) the automounted token. Kubernetes does not provide per-container service-account scoping inside a single pod, so the user container has to be moved into a separate identity / token-mount scheme.
Fix
Released in v1.23.0:
- PR #3366 (commit
fe1842ef): - The user function container now sets
AutomountServiceAccountToken: falseat the container level (via projected-volume token suppression), so the user container no longer sees the pod's SA token even though the fetcher sidecar still does. - The fetcher sidecar retains its existing token mount (separate projected volume) since it needs cluster API access for its own work.
- For the few legitimate use cases where a function needs its own Kubernetes API access, the user is expected to mount a different ServiceAccount via
Function.spec.podspecwith the minimum necessary RBAC (documented separately).
Mitigation (until upgrade)
- Restrict who can create / update
FunctionandPackageCRDs in your cluster — treat the ability to ship function code as equivalent to namespace-wide secret read. - Reduce the
fission-fetcherClusterRole / Role scope where possible (e.g. constrain it to specific named secrets via separate Role bindings). - Add NetworkPolicy egress rules denying function pods access to the Kubernetes API server (this blunts the token even if it leaks).
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
Fission runtime pods automount the fission-fetcher service-account token into user function containers, granting namespace-wide read of secrets and configmaps, violating the intended access control.
Vulnerability Description Fission runtime pods were created with ServiceAccountName: fission-fetcher, which is granted namespace-wide get on secrets and configmaps to fetch function code and configuration. The service account token is automounted into all containers in the pod, including the user function container, at /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token. This allows user-supplied function code to inherit the same Kubernetes API privileges, enabling it to read any secret or configmap in the namespace, far beyond the intended Function.spec.secrets allowlist [2][4].
Exploitation An attacker who can deploy or update a Fission function in any namespace where runtime pods are scheduled can exploit this issue. Once the function runs, the code can use the automounted token to authenticate to the Kubernetes API and retrieve every secret and configmap in that namespace. No additional authentication is required beyond having function deployment privileges [2][4].
Impact Successful exploitation allows the attacker to read all secrets in the namespace, including TLS keys, OIDC client secrets, database credentials, and cloud provider credentials. They can also read all configmaps. These credentials can be used to pivot to other Kubernetes resources or external systems that the secrets unlock, leading to a broader compromise [2][4].
Mitigation The fix is released in Fission v1.23.0 [3]. The solution sets AutomountServiceAccountToken: false on the user function container and mounts a projected service account token only on the fetcher container, ensuring user code no longer inherits the privileged token. The patch is implemented in PR #3366 [1]. Users are advised to upgrade to v1.23.0 or later.
- Drop fission-fetcher SA token from function user containers by sanketsudake · Pull Request #3366 · fission/fission
- CVE-2026-46617 - GitHub Advisory Database
- Release v1.23.0 · fission/fission
- Fission runtime pods automount the fission-fetcher service-account token into the user function container, granting function code namespace-wide secret / configmap read
AI Insight generated on May 21, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.
Affected products
2Patches
0No patches discovered yet.
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References
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