{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2026-126644", "assignerOrgId": "53f830b8-0a3f-465b-8143-3b8a9948e749", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "redhat", "dateReserved": "2026-11-11T10:46:47.355Z", "datePublished": "2026-11-12T10:50:16.148Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-11-12T10:50:16.148Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"title": "Ansible.posix: authorized_key module follows a parent-directory symlink allowing writes outside the intended directory", "metrics": [{"other": {"content": {"value": "Low", "namespace": "https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/"}, "type": "Red Hat severity rating"}}, {"cvssV3_1": {"attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackVector": "LOCAL", "availabilityImpact": "LOW", "baseScore": 3.9, "baseSeverity": "LOW", "confidentialityImpact": "NONE", "integrityImpact": "LOW", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "userInteraction": "REQUIRED", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L", "version": "3.1"}, "format": "CVSS"}], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "A link-following flaw was found in the authorized_key module of the ansible.posix collection, residual to the fix for CVE-2026-11837. That fix guards only the final path component (os.chown with follow_symlinks=False and O_NOFOLLOW in _safe_open_write()). When an unprivileged local user replaces their ~/.ssh directory with a symlink to a directory they do not own, and an operator subsequently runs the authorized_key task as root (a common provisioning pattern), the module resolves its path operations through the symlink: atomic_move() writes the temporary file in the symlink target and renames it to <target>/authorized_keys, creating or overwriting a file in the attacker-chosen directory, and os.chmod(sshdir, 0o700) follows the symlink and changes the target directory's permissions. The written file is chowned to the unprivileged user, so this is not a privilege escalation, but it allows an attacker to create or overwrite files (for example in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/, which APT reads regardless of file ownership) to cause integrity and availability impacts."}], "affected": [{"vendor": "Red Hat", "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10", "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/", "packageName": "rhc-worker-playbook", "defaultStatus": "affected", "cpes": ["cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:10"]}, {"vendor": "Red Hat", "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9", "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/", "packageName": "rhc-worker-playbook", "defaultStatus": "affected", "cpes": ["cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9"]}], "references": [{"url": "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-126644", "tags": ["vdb-entry", "x_refsource_REDHAT"]}, {"url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2571732", "name": "RHBZ#2571732", "tags": ["issue-tracking", "x_refsource_REDHAT"]}], "datePublic": "2026-11-11T14:33:28.109Z", "problemTypes": [{"descriptions": [{"cweId": "CWE-59", "description": "Improper Link Resolution Before File Access", "lang": "en", "type": "CWE"}]}], "x_redhatCweChain": "CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access", "workarounds": [{"lang": "en", "value": "Do not run ansible.posix.authorized_key as root against home or .ssh directories that unprivileged users can modify. Verify that target directories are not attacker-controllable symlinks before running the task."}], "timeline": [{"lang": "en", "time": "2026-11-11T14:31:37.694Z", "value": "Reported to Red Hat."}, {"lang": "en", "time": "2026-11-11T14:33:28.109Z", "value": "Made public."}], "providerMetadata": {"orgId": "53f830b8-0a3f-465b-8143-3b8a9948e749", "shortName": "redhat", "dateUpdated": "2026-11-12T10:50:16.148Z"}, "x_generator": {"engine": "cvelib 1.8.0"}}}}

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{"affected": [{"affectedData": [{"collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/", "cpes": ["cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:10"], "defaultStatus": "affected", "packageName": "rhc-worker-playbook", "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10", "vendor": "Red Hat"}, {"collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/", "cpes": ["cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9"], "defaultStatus": "affected", "packageName": "rhc-worker-playbook", "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9", "vendor": "Red Hat"}], "source": "secalert@redhat.com"}], "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "A link-following flaw was found in the authorized_key module of the ansible.posix collection, residual to the fix for CVE-2026-11837. That fix guards only the final path component (os.chown with follow_symlinks=False and O_NOFOLLOW in _safe_open_write()). When an unprivileged local user replaces their ~/.ssh directory with a symlink to a directory they do not own, and an operator subsequently runs the authorized_key task as root (a common provisioning pattern), the module resolves its path operations through the symlink: atomic_move() writes the temporary file in the symlink target and renames it to <target>/authorized_keys, creating or overwriting a file in the attacker-chosen directory, and os.chmod(sshdir, 0o700) follows the symlink and changes the target directory's permissions. The written file is chowned to the unprivileged user, so this is not a privilege escalation, but it allows an attacker to create or overwrite files (for example in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/, which APT reads regardless of file ownership) to cause integrity and availability impacts."}], "id": "CVE-2026-126644", "lastModified": "2026-11-12T11:17:11.920", "metrics": {"cvssMetricV31": [{"cvssData": {"attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackVector": "LOCAL", "availabilityImpact": "LOW", "baseScore": 3.9, "baseSeverity": "LOW", "confidentialityImpact": "NONE", "integrityImpact": "LOW", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "userInteraction": "REQUIRED", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L", "version": "3.1"}, "exploitabilityScore": 1.3, "impactScore": 2.5, "source": "secalert@redhat.com", "type": "Primary"}]}, "published": "2026-11-12T11:17:11.770", "references": [{"source": "secalert@redhat.com", "url": "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-126644"}, {"source": "secalert@redhat.com", "url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2571732"}], "sourceIdentifier": "secalert@redhat.com", "vulnStatus": "Awaiting Analysis", "weaknesses": [{"description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-59"}], "source": "secalert@redhat.com", "type": "Primary"}]}

{"bugzilla": {"description": "ansible.posix: authorized_key module follows a parent-directory symlink allowing writes outside the intended directory", "id": "2571732", "url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2571732"}, "csaw": false, "cvss3": {"cvss3_base_score": "3.9", "cvss3_scoring_vector": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L", "status": "draft"}, "cwe": "CWE-59", "details": ["A link-following flaw was found in the authorized_key module of the ansible.posix collection, residual to the fix for CVE-2026-11837. That fix guards only the final path component (os.chown with follow_symlinks=False and O_NOFOLLOW in _safe_open_write()). When an unprivileged local user replaces their ~/.ssh directory with a symlink to a directory they do not own, and an operator subsequently runs the authorized_key task as root (a common provisioning pattern), the module resolves its path operations through the symlink: atomic_move() writes the temporary file in the symlink target and renames it to <target>/authorized_keys, creating or overwriting a file in the attacker-chosen directory, and os.chmod(sshdir, 0o700) follows the symlink and changes the target directory's permissions. The written file is chowned to the unprivileged user, so this is not a privilege escalation, but it allows an attacker to create or overwrite files (for example in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/, which APT reads regardless of file ownership) to cause integrity and availability impacts."], "mitigation": {"lang": "en:us", "value": "Do not run ansible.posix.authorized_key as root against home or .ssh directories that unprivileged users can modify. Verify that target directories are not attacker-controllable symlinks before running the task."}, "name": "CVE-2026-126644", "package_state": [{"cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:10", "fix_state": "Fix deferred", "package_name": "rhc-worker-playbook", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10"}, {"cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9", "fix_state": "Fix deferred", "package_name": "rhc-worker-playbook", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9"}], "public_date": "2026-11-11T14:33:28Z", "references": ["https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-126644\nhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-126644"], "statement": "The written authorized_keys file is owned by the unprivileged managed user, so this flaw does not permit privilege escalation: targets such as /root/.ssh/authorized_keys are rejected by the sshd StrictModes default, and /etc/sudoers.d/ by sudo's ownership and syntax checks. The demonstrated impact is limited to integrity and availability, for example writing a file into /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/ to disrupt package management operations. Exploitation requires local access to prepare the symlink and an operator running the authorized_key module as root against the attacker-controlled path. Red Hat rates the impact of this flaw as Low.", "threat_severity": "Low"}

{}