CVE-2026-84691
HIGH 8.7A flaw was found in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform's automation- controller. The setting that formats the log message emitted for API 4XX errors is an administrator-controlled Python format-string template that is rendered with a live user object as an argument. Because Python string formatting permits attribute and item traversal on its arguments, an administrator can craft a template that walks from the user object into the application settings and reads the Django secret key and the database password. The formatted message is written to a logger that can be forwarded to an external log aggregator, whose destination is also administrator-controlled, allowing the secrets to be sent off the host. An authenticated administrator can thereby obtain the master encryption key used to protect all stored credentials and the database service password, enabling offline decryption of every stored credential, forgery of user sessions, and direct access to the controller database.
Severe if exploited (CVSS 8.7), but no known exploitation and low modeled probability. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
0.2%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 9th percentile
Impact if exploited
8.7CVSS 3.1 · HIGH
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityHigh
- AvailabilityNone
What an attacker needs
- ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
- ⚠Privileges: Requires an admin / high-privilege account
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept & exploit code
- github-search Search GitHub for public PoC repos
Test against your own equipment
curl -s https://vulnpedia.com/cve/CVE-2026-84691/poc.jsonMachine-readable PoC index for this CVE (for automation).Listed for defensive triage, patch verification, and authorized testing on systems you own. Machine-readable: /cve/CVE-2026-84691/poc.json
Affected
Vendors Red Hat
Products Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 For Rhel 8 Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 For Rhel 9 Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 For Rhel 9 Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.7
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-134: Use of Externally-Controlled Format String
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
All CVSS metrics
- HIGH 8.7 v3.1 · CNA Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - HIGH 8.7 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N