A flaw was found in ansible-core. (CVE-2026-89091)
Description
A vulnerability in ansible-core allows an attacker to craft a malicious collection tarball that exploits improper symbolic link handling during collection installation. This flaw enables overwriting arbitrary files on the control node with the privileges of the user running ansible-galaxy, potentially leading to code execution. The issue is a bypass of a previous fix (CVE-2020-10691).
CVSS v3.1
Score 8.8high
Affected software
pkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible?arch=source&distro=esm-infra-legacy/trustypkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible?arch=source&distro=esm-apps/xenialpkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible?arch=source&distro=esm-apps/bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible?arch=source&distro=esm-apps/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible-core?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible?arch=source&distro=esm-apps/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible-core?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible?arch=source&distro=stonkingpkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible-core?arch=source&distro=stonkingpkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/ansible-core?arch=source&distro=resoluteRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability in ansible-core arises from the archive extractor's use of lexical path normalization (os.path.abspath) instead of resolving symbolic links (os.path.realpath) when validating member paths during 'ansible-galaxy collection install'. It also lacks containment checks on symlink-typed directory members before creation. An attacker can craft a collection tarball that chains symlink directory entries, causing subsequent file members to be written outside the intended directory. This allows arbitrary file overwrite with the privileges of the ansible-galaxy user, leading to potential code execution on the control node. This vulnerability bypasses the fix for CVE-2020-10691.
Potential Impact
An attacker who can convince a user to install a malicious collection can overwrite arbitrary files on the control node with the privileges of the user running ansible-galaxy. This can lead to code execution on the control node, compromising system integrity and security.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, avoid installing collections from untrusted sources to mitigate risk.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- UBUNTU-CVE-2026-89091
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.7.0
- Ecosystems
- ["Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS","Ubuntu:22.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:22.04:LTS","Ubuntu:24.04:LTS","Ubuntu:26.10","Ubuntu:26.04:LTS"]
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6ad3f53d2cdf04f65665861d
Added to database: 10/17/2026, 22:22:53 UTC
Last enriched: 10/17/2026, 23:17:29 UTC
Last updated: 10/17/2026, 23:17:29 UTC
Views: 3
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.