CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-19706NVD status: Awaiting Analysis

Assisted Installer for Red Hat OpenShift…: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality

CVE-2026-19706 is a high-severity missing authentication for critical functionality vulnerability in Assisted Installer for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 2 from Red Hat, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.3 out of 10. It can be exploited from the same local network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.13% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of Assisted Installer for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 2 you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Red HatAssisted Installer for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 2Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatMulticluster Engine for KubernetesNot specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5Not specified in the recordNot stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
AdjacentThe attacker must be on the same local network segment.
Attack complexity
HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (redhat.com).

Official description

During ABI bootstrap, the bootstrap node's approve-csr.service approves and signs every CSR without identity validation. An attacker on the install network can retrieve the unauthenticated Ignition file (ports 22623/22624), extract a limited kubeconfig, submit a CSR for CN=system:admin, receive the signed certificate, and gain full cluster-admin access. Exploitable only during the narrow bootstrap window.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality

The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using libraries with authentication capabilities such as OpenSSL or the ESAPI Authenticator.
  • When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to require strong authentication for users who should be allowed to access the data.

More Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities (CWE-306)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Assisted Installer for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 2

All Assisted Installer for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 2 vulnerabilities

Recent Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities

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