ansible authorized_key LPE via untrusted symlink
CVE-2026-11837 Published on June 10, 2026
Ansible-collection-ansible-posix: ansible.posix authorized_key: local privilege escalation via symlink-following chown
A local privilege escalation vulnerability was found in the ansible.posix authorized_key module. The module's keyfile() function uses os.chown() instead of os.lchown() and opens files without O_NOFOLLOW when managing SSH authorized keys. An unprivileged local user can pre-stage symbolic links in their ~/.ssh directory to redirect file ownership changes to arbitrary system paths when an operator runs the authorized_key task as root, leading to local privilege escalation.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-11837 can be exploited with local system access, requires user interaction and a small amount of user privileges. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to be very high.
Timeline
Reported to Red Hat.
Made public. 3 days later.
Weakness Type
What is an insecure temporary file Vulnerability?
The software attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
CVE-2026-11837 has been classified to as an insecure temporary file vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-11837
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