The vulnerability arises because the automation-controller does not validate the Project scm_url field against values starting with a dash and passes it verbatim to the git SCM module. The git module runs 'git ls-remote' with the URL as a positional argument without a '--' separator, so a URL like '--upload-pack=<command>:x' is interpreted as a git option and executed via shell. This allows a user with permission to create or modify a project in a single organization to execute arbitrary commands on the control-plane task pod, potentially compromising multiple tenants and enabling lateral movement within the cluster. The underlying issue is an argument injection (CWE-88) in the ansible-core git module and automation-controller. The CVSS v3.1 score is 9.9 (critical) with network attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and scope changed, impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

An attacker with permission to create or modify projects can execute arbitrary commands on the control-plane task pod, leading to full compromise of that pod. This can result in cross-tenant compromise within the Ansible Automation Platform environment and enable lateral movement inside the cluster, severely impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.

As of the vendor advisory, no explicit patch or fix release is stated. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-84502 for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict permissions to create or modify projects to trusted users only to reduce risk. Monitor Red Hat's official channels for updates and apply patches promptly once released.