Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This issue affects Argo Workflows deployments through 3.1.3 only in a specific configuration. If expression templates are enabled and untrusted users can supply workflow input parameters, crafted input may disrupt workflow execution. The public record describes workflow disruption, not data theft or host compromise.
Executive priority
Treat this as a configuration-dependent operational risk. Prioritize shared or customer-facing workflow environments first, especially where non-admin users can run workflows. It is less urgent for isolated trusted-only deployments, but still warrants upgrade and configuration review.
Technical view
CVE-2021-37914 concerns evaluation behavior in Argo Workflows expression templates. With EXPRESSION_TEMPLATES enabled, user-controlled input parameters can influence evaluated expression template output, allowing workflow disruption. The source bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, or detailed fixed-version metadata beyond the upstream issue and pull request.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in multi-user Argo Workflows environments running through 3.1.3 where untrusted users can start workflows or provide input parameters and expression templates are enabled.
Exploitation context
The CVE is not listed as KEV in the supplied bundle, and no cited source states active exploitation. The described impact is conditional workflow disruption when a risky feature and untrusted parameter control overlap.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE text, upstream issue, and pull request. The record does not provide CVSS, CWE, exploit-in-the-wild evidence, or detailed remediation wording. Avoid assuming broader impact than workflow disruption under the stated conditions.
Mitigation direction
- Check Argo Workflows guidance and upgrade to a release containing PR 6442.
- Disable EXPRESSION_TEMPLATES if the feature is not required.
- Restrict workflow submission and parameter input to trusted users.
- Review workflow templates that evaluate user-controlled parameters.
- Apply least-privilege RBAC around workflow execution.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Argo Workflows versions and flag deployments through 3.1.3.
- Confirm whether EXPRESSION_TEMPLATES is enabled in each environment.
- Identify users or systems allowed to submit workflow parameters.
- Review templates for evaluated expressions using external input.
- Check workflow logs for unexplained disruption or evaluation errors.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2021-37914 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/issues/6441CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/argoproj/argo-workflows/pull/6442CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.