CVE-2026-84474 PUBLISHED

Automation-controller: automation-controller-container: automation-controller: view_jobtemplate to execute privilege escalation via host_config_key exposure and x-forwarded-for spoofing of provisioning-callback host match

Assigner: redhat
Reserved: 01.09.2026 Published: 23.09.2026 Updated: 24.09.2026

A flaw was found in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform's automation- controller. The provisioning-callback secret (host_config_key) is exposed to users holding only the read-level view_jobtemplate permission -- both in the job template API representation and in the activity stream -- and the provisioning callback endpoint trusts a client-supplied X-Forwarded-For header to determine the calling host when the controller is deployed behind the AAP gateway with an empty proxy allow-list. By reading the secret and spoofing X-Forwarded-For to match any host in the job template's inventory, a minimally privileged or unauthenticated remote attacker can launch the job template against arbitrary managed hosts using the job template's credentials, resulting in privilege escalation and remote code execution on managed hosts.

Metrics

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS Score: 9.9

Product Status

Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.4 for RHEL 8
Versions Default: affected
  • unaffected from 0:4.5.36-1.el8ap to * (excl.)
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.4 for RHEL 9
Versions Default: affected
  • unaffected from 0:4.5.36-1.el9ap to * (excl.)
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8
Versions Default: affected
  • unaffected from 0:4.6.33-1.el8ap to * (excl.)
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9
Versions Default: affected
  • unaffected from 0:4.6.33-1.el9ap to * (excl.)
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9
Versions Default: affected
  • unaffected from 0:4.7.17-1.el9ap to * (excl.)
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6
Versions Default: affected
  • unaffected from 1789673739 to * (excl.)
Vendor Red Hat
Product Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.7
Versions Default: affected
  • unaffected from 1789580684 to * (excl.)

Workarounds

  • Restrict who holds view_jobtemplate on job templates that have provisioning callback enabled; disable provisioning callback (clear host_config_key) on JTs that do not require it.
  • Set PROXY_IP_ALLOWED_LIST to the AAP gateway/envoy address(es) so untrusted client X-Forwarded-For headers are stripped before host matching.
  • Rotate any host_config_key values that may have been exposed to read-only users; review activity_stream access.
  • Monitor for jobs with launch_type=callback and unexpected limit values or created_by=None.

Credits

  • This issue was discovered by Chris Meyers (Red Hat).

References

Problem Types

  • Reliance on Untrusted Inputs in a Security Decision CWE