CVE-2026-16493
Description
A flaw was found in ansible-core. The _extract_collection_from_git() function in ansible-core's concrete_artifact_manager.py constructs git clone commands without a '--' (end-of-options) separator before user-supplied URLs when installing collections from git sources. An attacker who provides a crafted collection source URI containing git argument injection payloads can achieve arbitrary command execution when a user runs 'ansible-galaxy collection install' with the malicious source. This is an incomplete fix for CVE-2026-11332, which hardened the role install path but missed the equivalent collection install code path.
Statement
Red Hat has assessed this vulnerability as Important because it allows arbitrary command execution when a user installs a collection from a crafted git source. The vulnerability exists because the fix for CVE-2026-11332 (RHSA-2026:42078, RHSA-2026:42079, RHSA-2026:42080, published 2026-07-20) only addressed the role install path in lib/ansible/utils/galaxy.py but did not apply the same '--' end-of-options separator to the collection install path in lib/ansible/galaxy/collection/concrete_artifact_manager.py. All versions of ansible-core that support collection installation from git sources are affected. Users who install collections exclusively from Ansible Galaxy or Automation Hub (HTTPS sources) are not exposed to this specific flaw.
Mitigation
The following practices would help for avoiding exposure and mitigate this flaw:
1. Do not install Ansible collections from untrusted or unverified git sources. Only install collections from trusted sources such as Ansible Galaxy (https://galaxy.ansible.com), Red Hat Automation Hub (https://console.redhat.com/ansible/automation-hub), or verified internal repositories using HTTPS URLs.
2. Carefully inspect any requirements.yml files before running 'ansible-galaxy collection install -r requirements.yml'. Verify that all collection sources use legitimate HTTPS URLs and do not contain git+ prefixed URIs with suspicious characters (especially values starting with '-').
3. Ensure your system's git version is 2.12 or later, which disables the ext:: transport by default. While this does not fully prevent exploitation (the -ccore.sshCommand technique bypasses transport restrictions), it eliminates one of the exploitation vectors.
4. Restrict the GIT_ALLOW_PROTOCOL environment variable to only necessary protocols (e.g. https, ssh) and never include 'ext' unless absolutely required.
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 | 7.8 | N/A | 7.8 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality,Integrity,Availability,Other
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Alter Execution Logic; Read Application Data; Modify Application Data
An attacker could include arguments that allow unintended commands or code to be executed, allow sensitive data to be read or modified or could cause other unintended behavior.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Ta Duc Thien (NTCS) for reporting this issue.
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