CVE-2026-22598 Overview
CVE-2026-22598 is an Improper Input Validation vulnerability affecting ManageIQ, an open-source management platform. A flaw was discovered in the ManageIQ API prior to version radjabov-2 where a malformed TimeProfile could be created, causing subsequent UI and API requests to timeout and leading to a Denial of Service condition.
Critical Impact
Attackers with low privileges can create malformed TimeProfile objects that cause persistent denial of service, rendering the ManageIQ UI and API unresponsive for all users.
Affected Products
- ManageIQ versions prior to radjabov-2
- ManageIQ API endpoints handling TimeProfile creation
- ManageIQ UI components dependent on TimeProfile queries
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-01-21 - CVE-2026-22598 published to NVD
- 2026-01-21 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-22598
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability stems from improper input validation (CWE-20) in the ManageIQ TimeProfile model. The TimeProfile class serializes profile data containing days and hours arrays, but prior to the patch, there was no validation to ensure these profile attributes were properly formatted or contained valid data.
The lack of validation allowed authenticated users to create malformed TimeProfile objects through the API. Once created, these malformed profiles would cause expensive database queries and processing operations when subsequent requests attempted to load or process TimeProfile data, resulting in request timeouts across the application.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of input validation on the profile serialized attribute in the TimeProfile model. The original implementation used default_value_for to set default values for days and hours, but this approach did not validate incoming data when a user explicitly provided malformed values through the API.
The fix introduces proper validation through a validate :validate_profile callback and ensures profile data is properly initialized with after_initialize :ensure_default_profile, preventing the creation of malformed TimeProfile objects.
Attack Vector
The vulnerability is exploitable over the network by authenticated users with low privileges. An attacker can craft malicious API requests to create TimeProfile objects with malformed or missing profile data. The attack requires no user interaction and results in high availability impact as the malformed data causes system-wide timeouts.
# Security patch for TimeProfile validation
# Source: https://github.com/ManageIQ/manageiq/commit/79cef10c7d0278d8a37c3f547c426948180df4df.patch
class TimeProfile < ApplicationRecord
ALL_DAYS = (0...7).to_a.freeze
ALL_HOURS = (0...24).to_a.freeze
+ DEFAULT_PROFILE = {:days => ALL_DAYS, :hours => ALL_HOURS}.freeze
DEFAULT_TZ = "UTC".freeze
serialize :profile
- default_value_for :days, ALL_DAYS
- default_value_for :hours, ALL_HOURS
+ validate :validate_profile
has_many :miq_reports
has_many :metric_rollups
scope :rollup_daily_metrics, -> { where(:rollup_daily_metrics => true) }
+ after_initialize :ensure_default_profile
after_create :rebuild_daily_metrics_on_create
after_save :rebuild_daily_metrics_on_save
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-22598
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual API requests targeting TimeProfile creation endpoints with malformed JSON payloads
- Sudden increase in request timeouts across ManageIQ UI and API endpoints
- Database query timeouts related to TimeProfile table operations
- Error logs indicating serialization or deserialization failures in TimeProfile operations
Detection Strategies
- Monitor ManageIQ API logs for POST/PUT requests to TimeProfile endpoints with anomalous payload structures
- Implement application-level monitoring for request timeout patterns across the platform
- Audit existing TimeProfile records in the database for malformed or null profile data
- Set up alerting for sudden spikes in database query execution times
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable detailed logging for all TimeProfile API operations
- Configure database query performance monitoring with alerting thresholds
- Implement rate limiting on TimeProfile creation endpoints
- Deploy application performance monitoring (APM) to detect timeout patterns early
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-22598
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade ManageIQ to version radjabov-2 or later immediately
- Review and remove any existing malformed TimeProfile records from the database
- Implement network-level access controls to restrict API access to trusted users
- Monitor system logs for signs of exploitation attempts
Patch Information
ManageIQ has released version radjabov-2 which contains the security patch for this vulnerability. The fix adds proper validation to the TimeProfile model, ensuring that profile data is validated before persistence and properly initialized with default values.
For manual patching, administrators can apply the commits directly:
For additional details, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory.
Workarounds
- Apply the patch manually if immediate upgrade is not possible by implementing the validate_profile and ensure_default_profile methods in the TimeProfile model
- Restrict API access to TimeProfile endpoints using network-level controls or API gateway policies
- Implement input validation at the API gateway or web application firewall level to reject malformed TimeProfile payloads
- Clean up any existing malformed TimeProfile records by running database queries to identify and remove invalid entries
# Configuration example - Database cleanup for malformed TimeProfile records
# Run from ManageIQ Rails console to identify potentially malformed records
# Check for TimeProfile records with nil or empty profile data
TimeProfile.where("profile IS NULL OR profile = ''").count
# Identify records with missing days or hours arrays
TimeProfile.all.select { |tp| tp.days.nil? || tp.hours.nil? }
# After backup, remove identified malformed records
# TimeProfile.where("profile IS NULL").destroy_all
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
