Eclipse Ankaios: Incorrect Default Permissions
CVE-2026-86836 is a high-severity incorrect default permissions vulnerability in Eclipse Ankaios from Eclipse Foundation, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.4 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected Eclipse Ankaios versions: 0.1.0 through 1.0.2. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.11% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Eclipse Ankaios you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eclipse Foundation | Eclipse Ankaios | 0.1.0 through 1.0.2 | Not 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
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Attack requirements
- PresentThe target must be in a specific state or configuration for the attack to work.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- HighSerious loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (eclipse.org).
Official description
In Eclipse Ankaios versions 0.1.0 through 1.0.2, the agent creates workload files and Control Interface named pipes (FIFOs) under a predictable path derived from the agent name and a hash of the workload's runtime configuration. If a directory or FIFO already exists at that path when the agent (re)starts, the agent reuses it based only on an existence and/or file-type check, without validating its owner or permissions. A local, unprivileged user with write access to the same base directory (by default under `$TMPDIR/ankaios`, e.g. shared `/tmp`) can pre-create this path hierarchy, including the two Control Interface FIFOs, before the agent starts. The agent then treats the attacker-owned FIFOs as the legitimate Control Interface for the targeted workload. The attacker can complete the Control Interface handshake and issue requests using that workload's configured `controlInterfaceAccess` permissions, allowing impersonation of the workload and, depending on its configured permissions, unauthorized reading and/or modification of the cluster's desired state.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Incorrect Default Permissions
During installation, installed file permissions are set to allow anyone to modify those files.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- The architecture needs to access and modification attributes for files to only those users who actually require those actions.
- Compartmentalize the system to have safe areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
More Incorrect Default Permissions vulnerabilities (CWE-276)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in Eclipse Ankaios
- 8.3 High severity
Recent Incorrect Default Permissions vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.5 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
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