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CVE-2026-6266NVD status: Awaiting Analysis

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for…: Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness

CVE-2026-6266 is a high-severity authentication bypass by primary weakness vulnerability in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8 from Red Hat, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.3 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 0.4% 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 Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8 you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Red HatRed Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 9Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9Not specified in the recordNot stated
Red HatRed Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6Not 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
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
LowPerformance or availability is reduced.

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

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.18.3HighCNA (redhat.com)
CVSS 3.18.1HighCNA

Official description

A flaw was found in the AAP gateway. The user auto-link strategy, introduced in AAP 2.6, automatically links an external Identity Provider (IDP) identity to an existing AAP user account based on email matching without verifying email ownership. This allows a remote attacker to potentially hijack a victim's account or gain unauthorized access to other accounts, including administrative accounts, by manipulating the IDP-provided email.

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

The underlying weakness: Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness

The authentication algorithm is sound, but the implemented mechanism can be bypassed as the result of a separate weakness that is primary to the authentication error.

More Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness vulnerabilities (CWE-305)

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 Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8

All Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8 vulnerabilities

Recent Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness vulnerabilities

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