CVE-2026-19444
A path traversal vulnerability was discovered in the Kubernetes kubectl client's kubectl cp command on Windows.
Does this matter?
Lower severity and a low EPSS score (0.23%). Track it; it rarely justifies an emergency change on its own.
Description
A path traversal vulnerability was discovered in the Kubernetes kubectl client's kubectl cp command on Windows. When copying files from a container, kubectl runs tar inside the container to build a tar archive, transfers it over the network, and unpacks it on the local machine. If the tar binary in the container is malicious, it can execute arbitrary code and emit unexpected output, allowing an attacker who controls container contents to write files to arbitrary paths on the user's local machine when kubectl cp is invoked, limited only by the system permissions of the local user. This issue only affects kubectl clients running on Windows.
- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:N
- EPSS
- 0.23% probability · 14th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-22
- Source
- jordan@liggitt.net
EPSS moved from 0.2% on 29 September 2026 to 0.2% on 26 October 2026.
References
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.