CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-5136NVD status: Analyzed

Red Hat Satellite 6.16 for RHEL 8: Incorrect Privilege Assignment

CVE-2026-5136 is a high-severity incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability in Red Hat Satellite 6.16 for RHEL 8 from Red Hat, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.56% 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. Update Satellite to 6.16.10 or 6.17.9 or 6.18.7 or 6.19.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Foreman to 3.18.2 or 3.19.1, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Read the advisory on access.redhat.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Red HatRed Hat Satellite 6.16 for RHEL 8Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat Satellite 6.16 for RHEL 9Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat Satellite 6.17 for RHEL 9Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat Satellite 6.18 for RHEL 9Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat Satellite 6.19 for RHEL 9Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat Satellite 6Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatSatellite6.16 up to, but not including, 6.16.10; 6.17 up to, but not including, 6.17.9; 6.18 up to, but not including, 6.18.7; 6.19 up to, but not including, 6.19.26.16.10, 6.17.9, 6.18.7, 6.19.2
TheforemanForemanbefore 3.18.2; 3.19.0 up to, but not including, 3.19.13.18.2, 3.19.1

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
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
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:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (redhat.com).

Official description

A flaw was found in Foreman. The Usergroup model in Foreman does not properly validate role assignments against the calling user's permissions. This allows an authenticated user with usergroup management permissions to attach arbitrary roles, including administrative roles, to a user group and then add themselves as a member. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability leads to full privilege escalation, granting the attacker administrator-level access.

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

The underlying weakness: Incorrect Privilege Assignment

A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
  • Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.

More Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerabilities (CWE-266)

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 Red Hat Satellite 6.16 for RHEL 8

All Red Hat Satellite 6.16 for RHEL 8 vulnerabilities

Recent Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerabilities

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