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Authoritative vendor disclosure · 2026
CVE-2026-84708High confidence

automation-controller: automation-controller-container: automation-controller: container group pod_spec_override mints the automation-controller ServiceAccount token and mounts control-plane namespace secrets into job pods, bypassing automountServiceAccountToken:false (control-plane secret and identity compromise)

Red Hat Product Security · automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8

8.7HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 7 days

Red Hat Product Security reports a high vendor CVSS assessment and supplies remediation evidence. Validate product applicability and exposure while canonical CVE data is pending.

Patch available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:High, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs Red Hat Product Security automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8 and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 30 daysRemediation target: Within 180 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
CVE-2026-84708 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securityautomation-controller: automation-controller-container: automation-controller: container group pod_spec_override mints the automation-controller ServiceAccount token and mounts control-plane namespace secrets into job pods, bypassing automountServiceAccountToken:false (control-plane secret and identity compromise)
18 fixed

The vendor explicitly identifies these products or versions as containing the fix.

  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.ppc64le as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.s390x as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el9ap.aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el9ap.ppc64le as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el9ap.s390x as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el9ap.x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.7.17-1.el9ap.aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.7.17-1.el9ap.ppc64le as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.7.17-1.el9ap.s390x as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9
  • automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.7.17-1.el9ap.x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9
Summary
A flaw was found in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform's automation-controller. A user with the delegated Instance Group Admin role on a container group can set a free-form pod specification override that is deep-merged, without filtering, into every job pod launched on that group. The only hardening applied is forcing automountServiceAccountToken to false, which does not remove an explicitly declared projected serviceAccountToken volume or secret volume mounts. A non-superuser can therefore cause the kubelet to mint a ServiceAccount token for the control-plane automation-controller service account into the job container and mount arbitrary secrets from the control-plane namespace, obtaining the control-plane service-account identity on the Kubernetes API and cleartext control-plane secrets (including the platform database password and Django SECRET_KEY), leading to full platform data compromise.
Remediation
For details on how to apply this update, refer to Ansible Automation Platform documentation.
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Recommended actionWithin 7 days

Red Hat Product Security reports a high vendor CVSS assessment and supplies remediation evidence. Validate product applicability and exposure while canonical CVE data is pending.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

A flaw was found in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform's automation-controller. A user with the delegated Instance Group Admin role on a container group can set a free-form pod specification override that is deep-merged, without filtering, into every job pod launched on that group. The only hardening applied is forcing automountServiceAccountToken to false, which does not remove an explicitly declared projected serviceAccountToken volume or secret volume mounts. A non-superuser can therefore cause the kubelet to mint a ServiceAccount token for the control-plane automation-controller service account into the job container and mount arbitrary secrets from the control-plane namespace, obtaining the control-plane service-account identity on the Kubernetes API and cleartext control-plane secrets (including the platform database password and Django SECRET_KEY), leading to full platform data compromise.

What

A flaw was found in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform's automation-controller. A user with the delegated Instance Group Admin role on a container group can set a free-form pod specification override that is deep-merged, without filtering, into every job pod launched on that group. The only hardening applied is forcing automountServiceAccountToken to false, which does not remove an explicitly declared projected serviceAccountToken volume or secret volume mounts. A non-superuser can therefore cause the kubelet to mint a ServiceAccount token for the control-plane automation-controller service account into the job container and mount arbitrary secrets from the control-plane namespace, obtaining the control-plane service-account identity on the Kubernetes API and cleartext control-plane secrets (including the platform database password and Django SECRET_KEY), leading to full platform data compromise.

Why

A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with elevated privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

A flaw was found in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform's automation-controller. A user with the delegated Instance Group Admin role on a container group can set a free-form pod specification override that is deep-merged, without filtering, into every job pod launched on that group. The only hardening applied is forcing automountServiceAccountToken to false, which does not remove an explicitly declared projected serviceAccountToken volume or secret volume mounts. A non-superuser can therefore cause the kubelet to mint a ServiceAccount token for the control-plane automation-controller service account into the job container and mount arbitrary secrets from the control-plane namespace, obtaining the control-plane service-account identity on the Kubernetes API and cleartext control-plane secrets (including the platform database password and Django SECRET_KEY), leading to full platform data compromise.

Why

A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with elevated privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
a network path → Incorrect Privilege Assignment → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
High: elevated access is required
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Changed: exploitation can affect a different security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-266 ↗

CWE-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment. A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRHighPrivileges required: The attacker needs elevated or administrative privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SChangedScope: The attack can affect a component governed by a different security authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
Stolen credentials, tokens and legitimate administration functions may provide continued access without deploying a large custom toolset.
NetworkCWE-266
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

BSI · German · WID-SEC-2026-3555Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform (automation-controller): Mehrere Schwachstellen

Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform ausnutzen, um seine Privilegien zu erhöhen, beliebigen Code auszuführen, Sicherheitsmaßnahmen zu umgehen, Daten zu manipulieren oder offenzulegen und einen Denial-of-Service-Zustand herbeizuführen.

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
The vendor advisory identifies this CVE but does not provide a concise affected-product range.
Fixed
Action
For details on how to apply this update, refer to Ansible Automation Platform documentation.
Workaround
No separate vendor workaround is recorded. Follow the linked advisory and validate the exact affected product and release.
Official vendor articles1 stored document

Linked articles are downloaded and versioned as source evidence. A CVE mention or approved update relationship does not, by itself, verify a fix for every product branch.

  • CVE-2026-84708 - Red Hat Customer Portal →Original publisher ↗Searchable text snapshot · Captured 26 Sep 2026CVE-2026-84708 Description A flaw was found in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform's automation-controller. A user with the delegated Instance Group Admin role on a container group can set a free-form pod specification override that is deep-merged, without filtering, into every job pod launched on that group. The only
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 23 Sept 2026 · Last source change 24 Sept 2026, 05:58 UTC · CWE-266 · Incorrect Privilege Assignment

CVE recordRed Hat Product Security · OASIS CSAF 2.0
CVSS sourceOther authority
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
Unavailable
European sourceNo official EUVD mapping
Product sourceAuthoritative vendor CSAF advisory
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD status unavailable

Missing structured fields: official CVE record, canonical affected-version range. Missing data is not evidence of low risk; review the primary advisory.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    The vendor advisory identifies this CVE but does not provide a concise affected-product range. · Fixed: automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.ppc64le as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.s390x as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el8ap.x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el9ap.aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el9ap.ppc64le as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el9ap.s390x as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.6.33-1.el9ap.x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.7.17-1.el9ap.aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.7.17-1.el9ap.ppc64le as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.7.17-1.el9ap.s390x as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9; automation-controller-venv-tower-0:4.7.17-1.el9ap.x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9; registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-26/controller-rhel9@sha256:0ea5754e6baa9da37abc43777bd9a05db5815454fc2949a8909a3e2aefc7a039_arm64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6; registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-26/controller-rhel9@sha256:4cf288cd1d881eb5cecff0652678d92d3415e5ce673493897236175eaad83cec_ppc64le as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6; registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-26/controller-rhel9@sha256:7f06ccc449fcd34a7371313cf12b920af06e706b1fa259c471b5062c21f557f3_s390x as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6; registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-26/controller-rhel9@sha256:97bc35281e7490e2a07716c8cb7738d478af88e6cdcb5afc8d32505637be9365_amd64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6; registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-27/controller-rhel9@sha256:0b4d286c39fbb3056643306df9e81c2d4727e005a551ab74c2cee0950f35bf25_amd64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.7; registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-27/controller-rhel9@sha256:e0a869c7abe2af122a5fcc06b7c4d9ca3eec2693dde7b58c9b9ccea27f71dc6c_arm64 as a component of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.7
    After
    The vendor advisory identifies this CVE but does not provide a concise affected-product range. · Fixed: For details on how to apply this update, refer to Ansible Automation Platform documentation.
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
  2. Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.
    Authoritative vendor CSAF advisory ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
Vendor disclosed CVE identifier
Vendor remediation published
Fixed release recorded from official guidance
Red Hat Product Security security advisory↗Verified CSAF source data↗CVE.org publication pending↗NVD enrichment pending↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2026-84708 · cve.blacktree.nl