CVE-2026-16544
Description
A flaw was found in AWX. The websocket event consumer performs RBAC authorization checks only for event groups that are mapped in the consumer_access() function (job_events, workflow_events, ad_hoc_command_events). Three event groups - inventory_update_events, project_update_events, and system_job_events — are not mapped, causing the authorization check to be skipped. Any authenticated user can subscribe to these unmapped websocket event groups for any object ID and receive real-time stdout output from jobs belonging to organizations they have no access to. This is an incomplete remediation of CVE-2020-10698.
Statement
This flaw affects all versions of Ansible Automation Platform that ship the Controller component (formerly Ansible Tower). The websocket RBAC mechanism was introduced as part of the fix for CVE-2020-10698, but the consumer_access() function was never updated to cover all subscribable event groups. Exploitation requires a valid authenticated user account on the AWX/Controller instance, but no specific role or organization membership is needed. The attacker receives stdout and event metadata in real time for inventory updates, project updates, and system jobs across all organizations. In multi-tenant deployments (including managed services), this allows one tenant's users to observe another tenant's job output.
Mitigation
The following practices would help for avoiding exposure and mitigate this flaw:
- Restrict AWX/Controller user account creation to only trusted individuals. Since any authenticated user can exploit this flaw regardless of role, minimizing the number of user accounts reduces the attack surface.
- Use external authentication (LDAP, SAML, OIDC) with strict group mappings to prevent self-registration and ensure only authorized users can log in.
- Review the list of AWX/Controller users and remove or deactivate any accounts that are no longer needed.
- Monitor websocket connections and subscriptions for unusual patterns, such as a user subscribing to inventory_update_events or project_update_events for object IDs outside their organization.
- Avoid embedding credentials in SCM URLs or inventory source configurations, as these may appear in stdout output. Use credential objects instead.
- Apply network segmentation to restrict access to the AWX/Controller web interface to trusted networks only.
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 | 6.5 | N/A | 6.5 |
| 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 | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Application Data; Read Files or Directories
An attacker could read sensitive data, either by reading the data directly from a data store that is not restricted, or by accessing insufficiently-protected, privileged functionality to read the data.
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Application Data; Modify Files or Directories
An attacker could modify sensitive data, either by writing the data directly to a data store that is not restricted, or by accessing insufficiently-protected, privileged functionality to write the data.
Access Control
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity; Bypass Protection Mechanism
An attacker could gain privileges by modifying or reading critical data directly, or by accessing privileged functionality.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory); DoS: Resource Consumption (Other)
An attacker could gain unauthorized access to resources on the system and excessively consume those resources, leading to a denial of service.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Ta Duc Thien (Ninh Thanh Security team (NTCS)) for reporting this issue.
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