CVE-2026-46579: Improper Authentication in Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.12
A flaw was found in the OpenShift Router. When a Route has `insecureEdgeTerminationPolicy` set to Allow, the HTTP frontend does not remove `X-SSL-Client-*` headers from incoming requests. This allows an unauthenticated attacker to send plain HTTP requests with crafted `X-SSL-Client-*` headers. As a result, backends relying on these headers for mutual TLS (Transport Layer Security) authentication can be bypassed, enabling the attacker to impersonate client certificate identities.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability CVE-2026-46579 affects Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform versions 4.21 (>=4.21 <4.21.21), 4.22 (>=4.22 <4.22.2), and 4.12. It arises because the OpenShift Router does not strip X-SSL-Client-* headers from HTTP requests when insecureEdgeTerminationPolicy is set to Allow. Backends relying on these headers for mutual TLS authentication can be bypassed, allowing an attacker to impersonate client certificate identities without proper authentication. This is classified under CWE-287 (Improper Authentication). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.4 (High), reflecting network attack vector, high impact on confidentiality and integrity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed.
Potential Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can bypass mutual TLS authentication mechanisms by sending crafted HTTP requests with X-SSL-Client-* headers. This allows impersonation of client certificate identities, potentially leading to unauthorized access to backend services that rely on these headers for authentication. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity but does not affect availability.
Mitigation Recommendations
Red Hat has released fixed versions in OpenShift Container Platform 4.21.21 and 4.22.2 that address this issue. Users of affected versions (>=4.21 <4.21.21, >=4.22 <4.22.2, and 4.12) are strongly advised to upgrade to these patched releases as soon as possible. Detailed upgrade instructions are available in the Red Hat OpenShift documentation. No vendor advisory states that no action is required; therefore, applying the official fixes is the recommended mitigation.
CVE-2026-46579: Improper Authentication in Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.12
Description
A flaw was found in the OpenShift Router. When a Route has `insecureEdgeTerminationPolicy` set to Allow, the HTTP frontend does not remove `X-SSL-Client-*` headers from incoming requests. This allows an unauthenticated attacker to send plain HTTP requests with crafted `X-SSL-Client-*` headers. As a result, backends relying on these headers for mutual TLS (Transport Layer Security) authentication can be bypassed, enabling the attacker to impersonate client certificate identities.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.4high
Affected software
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability CVE-2026-46579 affects Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform versions 4.21 (>=4.21 <4.21.21), 4.22 (>=4.22 <4.22.2), and 4.12. It arises because the OpenShift Router does not strip X-SSL-Client-* headers from HTTP requests when insecureEdgeTerminationPolicy is set to Allow. Backends relying on these headers for mutual TLS authentication can be bypassed, allowing an attacker to impersonate client certificate identities without proper authentication. This is classified under CWE-287 (Improper Authentication). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.4 (High), reflecting network attack vector, high impact on confidentiality and integrity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed.
Potential Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can bypass mutual TLS authentication mechanisms by sending crafted HTTP requests with X-SSL-Client-* headers. This allows impersonation of client certificate identities, potentially leading to unauthorized access to backend services that rely on these headers for authentication. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity but does not affect availability.
Mitigation Recommendations
Red Hat has released fixed versions in OpenShift Container Platform 4.21.21 and 4.22.2 that address this issue. Users of affected versions (>=4.21 <4.21.21, >=4.22 <4.22.2, and 4.12) are strongly advised to upgrade to these patched releases as soon as possible. Detailed upgrade instructions are available in the Red Hat OpenShift documentation. No vendor advisory states that no action is required; therefore, applying the official fixes is the recommended mitigation.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Csaf Category
- csaf_security_advisory
- Csaf Version
- 2.0
- Publisher
- Red Hat Product Security
- Advisory Id
- RHSA-2026:27009
- Cve Count
- 1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a3aac35eed863c81e3e9d6e
Added to database: 06/23/2026, 15:54:29 UTC
Last enriched: 08/16/2026, 17:23:29 UTC
Last updated: 09/13/2026, 00:09:10 UTC
Views: 236
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.