CVE-2026-54423
Description
A malicious user with access to deploy a node directly via Ironic can specify the IPMI send_raw deployment step with a malicious payload and send commands to that nodes' BMC. IPMI send_raw capability is exposed multiple ways, including via VendorPassthru interfaces (restricted to system admin) and other step based flows such as cleaning or servicing. This also means any malicious user with the ability to initiate manual cleaning and servicing flows with arbitrary steps can also execute this vulnerability.
Statement
The Red Hat Product Security team has assessed the severity of this vulnerability as Moderate. While the IPMI send_raw functionality lacks a blocklist in certain step-based provisioning methods, exploitation requires privileges that are not available in default configurations. The SYSTEM_OR_OWNER_MEMBER_AND_LESSEE_ADMIN policy requires explicit administrator delegation of owner or lessee capabilities, and the automatic_lessee feature defaults to false and did not function correctly in shipped versions. This capability was introduced in upstream Ironic 22.1.0, which has not been shipped in any version of Red Hat OpenStack Platform or Red Hat OpenStack Services on OpenShift. In environments where exploitation is theoretically possible, an attacker could send arbitrary IPMI commands leading to unauthorized hardware control or system outage, but raw command access does not permit reading data returned by the BMC.
Mitigation
Operators can apply the upstream-provided patches which add a blocklist forbidding use of the IPMI send_raw functionality in cleaning and servicing provisioning methods. In environments where the default access model is used (lessee capability not enabled), this vulnerability is not exploitable by non-admin users. Operators who have explicitly delegated lessee or owner capabilities to project-level roles can revoke those delegations to prevent exploitation.
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).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.5 | N/A | 8.2 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | High | N/A | High |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Changed |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | Low |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | Low |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:H
Red Hat CVSS v3 Score Explanation
CVSS re-evaluated with input from Julia Kreger (OpenStack Ironic PTL). PR changed from Low to High: the SYSTEM_OR_OWNER_MEMBER_AND_LESSEE_ADMIN policy requires explicit admin delegation of owner/lessee capabilities; automatic_lessee defaults to false and did not work in shipped versions. C changed from High to None: raw IPMI command access does not permit reading data returned by a BMC in the raw response. Capability introduced in upstream Ironic 22.1.0, not present in shipped versions of RHOSO/OSP.
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.
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