CVE-2026-92893: Foreman Ansible Plugin Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2026-92893 Overview

CVE-2026-92893 is an authorization flaw in the foreman_ansible plugin's Ansible inventory API. The controller constructs its host query using an unscoped Host.where call. This call fails to apply the search filter tied to the caller's view_hosts permission. An authenticated user with restricted host visibility can supply arbitrary host IDs within their organization. The API returns the full Ansible inventory for those hosts, including parameter values marked as hidden. The issue is tracked under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.

Critical Impact
Authenticated users with restricted view_hosts permissions can retrieve Ansible inventory data, including hidden parameter values, for hosts they should not be able to see.

Affected Products

Foreman foreman_ansible plugin
Red Hat Satellite deployments that include the affected plugin
Downstream distributions bundling the vulnerable plugin version

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-17 - CVE CVE-2026-92893 published to NVD
2026-09-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-92893

Vulnerability Analysis

The foreman_ansible plugin exposes an Ansible inventory API for orchestrating configuration management tasks. The controller endpoint accepts a list of host IDs from the caller and returns inventory data for each requested host. Foreman enforces per-user host visibility through permission filters attached to the view_hosts role permission. These filters normally scope every Host lookup to the subset of hosts the user is authorized to see.

In the vulnerable code path, the controller queries the database with an unscoped Host.where call. The permission filter is never applied to the query. As a result, any host ID within the caller's organization is treated as accessible. The API returns full inventory data, including Ansible variables, host parameters, and values flagged as hidden in the Foreman UI.

Root Cause

The defect is a missing authorization check on a data access path. Foreman relies on scoped ActiveRecord queries to enforce visibility. The inventory controller bypasses this pattern by calling Host.where directly instead of chaining through the authorized scope used elsewhere in the codebase. This produces a broken access control condition classified under CWE-863, where the caller is authenticated but the authorization decision is incorrectly evaluated at the object level.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires an authenticated Foreman account with the view_hosts permission constrained by a filter (for example, a filter limiting the user to a specific hostgroup or location). The attacker calls the Ansible inventory API and supplies host IDs belonging to other hosts within the same organization. The API returns inventory documents containing hidden parameter values, which may include credentials, tokens, or infrastructure secrets stored as Ansible variables. No user interaction is required, and the attack is executed over the network against the Foreman API endpoint.

No public proof-of-concept exploit has been published. Refer to the Red Hat CVE-2026-92893 Advisory for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-92893

Indicators of Compromise

Ansible inventory API requests from accounts whose view_hosts permission is filter-restricted but which enumerate host IDs outside their filter scope.
Unusual bulk retrieval of inventory endpoints (/ansible/api/v2/ansible_inventories/schedule and related routes) by non-administrator accounts.
Access to host parameters marked as hidden by users who lack edit_hosts on those hosts.

Detection Strategies

Audit Foreman production logs for inventory API calls and correlate the requested host IDs against the caller's effective host filter.
Alert on any inventory response containing hosts outside the caller's authorized scope.
Review permission definitions for accounts using restricted view_hosts filters and identify anomalous inventory queries.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward Foreman application and audit logs to a centralized log platform for query and retention.
Baseline normal inventory API usage per service account and flag deviations in request volume or host ID ranges.
Monitor for exfiltration of Ansible variable content, especially secrets stored as host parameters.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-92893

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the vendor-supplied foreman_ansible plugin update as soon as it is available from your distribution.
Rotate any credentials, API tokens, or secrets stored as hidden host parameters that may have been exposed to accounts with restricted view_hosts filters.
Review Foreman role assignments and remove unnecessary access to the Ansible inventory API.

Patch Information

Consult the Red Hat CVE-2026-92893 Advisory and Red Hat Bug Report #2535903 for fixed package versions and errata identifiers. Apply the update through your standard package management channel and restart the Foreman service after installation.

Workarounds

Restrict access to the Ansible inventory API at the reverse proxy or load balancer level to trusted management networks only.
Remove the view_hosts permission from user roles that do not require Ansible inventory access until the patch is applied.
Avoid storing secret material in host parameters marked hidden; use an external secrets manager referenced by Ansible at runtime.

bash

# Example: restrict Foreman inventory API to a management CIDR at the Apache layer
<Location "/ansible/api">
    Require ip 10.20.0.0/24
</Location>