CVE-2026-16487 PUBLISHED

Bootc: containers-common: bootc: automatic updates can apply unsigned mutable-tag content under default containers policy

Assigner: redhat
Reserved: 21.07.2026 Published: 19.10.2026 Updated: 19.10.2026

A flaw was found in bootc when operating with the default containers signature policy. Automatic or manual upgrades of a mutable image tag may apply unsigned content for registries that fall through to insecureAcceptAnything, allowing an attacker who can update that tag to execute arbitrary OS content as the host root filesystem on reboot.

Metrics

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS Score: 8.1

Product Status

Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Versions Default: affected
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Versions Default: affected
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Versions Default: affected
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Versions Default: affected
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Versions Default: affected
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Hardened Images
Versions Default: affected
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Hardened Images
Versions Default: affected
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Versions Default: unaffected
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Versions Default: unaffected

Workarounds

Pin bootc updates to image digests, or configure /etc/containers/policy.json to reject unsigned content by default and allow only explicitly trusted signed scopes. Until policy is hardened, disable automatic updates (bootc-fetch-apply-updates.timer). After a suspected malicious image, do not rely on bootc rollback alone: audit and remediate persistent /var (including /var/roothome), then re-enroll to a trusted signed image.

Credits

  • Red Hat would like to thank Christopher Lusk (North Echo Security Research) for reporting this issue.

References

Problem Types

  • Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity CWE