CVE-2026-103870
Description
A flaw was found in pulp-rpm when it publishes a distribution tree. Addon and variant ids from .treeinfo are used as directory names. A user who can sync or upload that tree can make the publish task create a new directory outside the task work area and write that tree's repository metadata and packages there, as the Pulp worker user. An existing file or directory is not replaced. The flaw does not disclose data and does not stop the service.
Statement
This flaw is rated as Moderate by Red Hat Product Security. This vulnerability affects pulp-rpm's publication of kickstart distribution trees.
The caller needs an account that can put a distribution tree into a repository, which is rpm.sync_rpmrepository or the permission to upload RPM content. No extra setting is required. Publishing a repository version that contains a distribution tree is the normal kickstart path.
The write is limited because creation fails when the path already exists, and because parent directories are not created. The result is a new directory the worker user is allowed to create, not replacement of existing files.
This behavior was added with kickstart publishing in pulp-rpm 3.0.0b5
Default Red Hat repository sync uses mirror mode and does not run this directory creation. Custom upload syncs RPM files only, with no .treeinfo. Pulp is on a separate node, only the RHUI admin can reach it, and sync is from the Red Hat CDN almost all of the time. An end user cannot supply a distribution tree. Hence, it is not affected because Vulnerable Code cannot be Controlled by Adversary.
Additionally, RHUI's RPM API client packages does not publish distribution trees. Hence, they are not affected.
Note: Ansible Automation Platform does not ship pulp-rpm.
Mitigation
Syncing distribution trees only from a trusted upstream avoids a crafted .treeinfo from that source. An account that can upload a tree directly can still supply the file.
Otherwise, Red Hat is not aware of a practical temporary workaround that fully mitigates this issue or meets Red Hat Product Security's standards for usability, deployment, applicability, or stability. Customers are advised to apply the relevant security updates when they become available.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5 | N/A | 5 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Changed | N/A | Changed |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | None |
| Integrity Impact | Low | N/A | Low |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
The attacker may be able to create or overwrite critical files that are used to execute code, such as programs or libraries.
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Files or Directories
The attacker may be able to overwrite or create critical files, such as programs, libraries, or important data. If the targeted file is used for a security mechanism, then the attacker may be able to bypass that mechanism. For example, appending a new account at the end of a password file may allow an attacker to bypass authentication.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Files or Directories
The attacker may be able read the contents of unexpected files and expose sensitive data. If the targeted file is used for a security mechanism, then the attacker may be able to bypass that mechanism. For example, by reading a password file, the attacker could conduct brute force password guessing attacks in order to break into an account on the system.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
The attacker may be able to overwrite, delete, or corrupt unexpected critical files such as programs, libraries, or important data. This may prevent the product from working at all and in the case of protection mechanisms such as authentication, it has the potential to lock out product users.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank gwolfs (Independent Security Researcher) for reporting this issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
