CVE-2026-53718

Envoy Gateway custom backendRef cross-namespace ReferenceGrant bypass

Published Sep 14, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 6.4 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
Envoy Gateway is an open source project for managing Envoy Proxy as a standalone or Kubernetes-based application gateway. Prior to 1.7.4 and 1.8.1, an HTTPRoute can use an extension-managed custom backendRef to reference a backend resource in another namespace without a matching Gateway API ReferenceGrant in the target namespace. The custom-backend branch in internal/gatewayapi/route.go omits validateBackendNamespace, allowing the route-owning namespace to bind to and use the resource without the backend namespace owner's consent and violating the Gateway API cross-namespace authorization model. This issue is fixed in versions 1.7.4 and 1.8.1.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-fcrp-7gc2-93g7 Envoy Gateway custom backendRef cross-namespace ReferenceGrant bypass
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Envoyproxy
Envoyproxy gateway
Vendors & Products Envoyproxy
Envoyproxy gateway
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Envoy Gateway is an open source project for managing Envoy Proxy as a standalone or Kubernetes-based application gateway. Prior to 1.7.4 and 1.8.1, an HTTPRoute can use an extension-managed custom backendRef to reference a backend resource in another namespace without a matching Gateway API ReferenceGrant in the target namespace. The custom-backend branch in internal/gatewayapi/route.go omits validateBackendNamespace, allowing the route-owning namespace to bind to and use the resource without the backend namespace owner's consent and violating the Gateway API cross-namespace authorization model. This issue is fixed in versions 1.7.4 and 1.8.1.
Title Envoy Gateway custom backendRef cross-namespace ReferenceGrant bypass
Weaknesses CWE-862
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 6.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
Sep 15, 2026, 1:55 PM
Reserved
Jun 10, 2026, 4:43 PM
Status
Awaiting Analysis
Published
Sep 14, 2026, 9:17 PM
Modified
Sep 25, 2026, 2:10 PM