http-etcd-unauthenticated-api-v3: etcd v3 Unauthenticated API

2026-09-21 Unknown PoC Public

Description

etcd's v3 API is reachable and authentication is disabled or not configured. With auth disabled, the v3 API grants full read and write access to every key in the store to anyone who can reach it.

PoC

id: http-etcd-unauthenticated-api-v3

info:
  name: etcd v3 Unauthenticated API
  author: x3lfyn
  severity: high
  description: |
    etcd's v3 API is reachable and authentication is disabled or not configured. With auth disabled, the v3 API grants full read and write access to every key in the store to anyone who can reach it.
  impact: |
    An unauthenticated attacker can read and write arbitrary keys in the etcd store.
  remediation: |
    Enable etcd client authentication and RBAC (`--client-cert-auth=true` plus `etcdctl auth enable`), and restrict network access to the etcd.
  reference:
    - https://etcd.io/docs/v3.5/op-guide/authentication/
    - https://etcd.io/docs/v3.5/op-guide/security/
  classification:
    cwe-id: CWE-306
  metadata:
    max-request: 1
    vendor: etcd
    product: etcd
    shodan-query: product:"etcd"
  tags: misconfig,unauth,etcd,exposure

http:
  - id: check-auth-status
    method: POST
    path:
      - "{{BaseURL}}/v3/auth/status"
    headers:
      Content-Type: application/json
    body: "{}"

    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: word
        part: body
        words:
          - '"enabled":true'
        negative: true

      - type: word
        part: body
        words:
          - "authRevision"

      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
# digest: 4b0a004830460221008be66c17948f6e3da949dffb294f6b9764f576f705d472be62f8807660f462f4022100cee6068b2ea1bd9f6fee932d845a0ef687257ced6b1ab5629bf085cdb3e8732c:922c64590222798bb761d5b6d8e72950

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