Answer in brief
CVE-2026-22822 records a High severity (CVSS 8.8) vulnerability in External Secrets Operator insecurely retrieves secrets through the getSecretKey templating function. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps external-secrets/external-secrets (generic), github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets (go). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
Analysis pending evidence review
HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.
CVSS is 8.8. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.
Analysis status
Analysis pending evidence review
Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.
The current feed maps external-secrets/external-secrets (generic), github.com/external-secrets/external-secrets (go). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
| Package | Affected range | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| external-secrets/external-secretsgeneric | >= 0.20.2, < 1.2.0 | Not reported |
| github.com/external-secrets/external-secretsgo | >=0.20.2 <1.2.0 | 1.2.0 |
Published upstream
Jan 21, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordSource modified
Jul 15, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordFirst seen by HOL
Jul 15, 2026
External Secrets Operator reads information from a third-party service and automatically injects the values as Kubernetes Secrets. Starting in version 0.20.2 and prior to version 1.2.0, the `getSecretKey` template function, while introduced for senhasegura Devops Secrets Management (DSM) provider, has the ability to fetch secrets cross-namespaces with the roleBinding of the external-secrets controller, bypassing our security mechanisms. This function was completely removed in version 1.2.0, as everything done with that templating function can be done in a different way while respecting External Secrets Operator's safeguards As a workaround, use a policy engine such as Kubernetes, Kyverno, Kubewarden, or OPA to prevent the usage of `getSecretKey` in any ExternalSecret resource.
Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.