CVE-2026-89091 Ansible-core: ansible-core: ansible-galaxy collection install symlink path escape allows arbitrary file write / code execution

Description

A flaw was found in ansible-core. When installing a collection with `ansible-galaxy collection install`, the archive extractor validates member paths using lexical path normalisation (os.path.abspath) instead of resolving symbolic links (os.path.realpath), and it performs no containment check on symlink-typed directory members before creating them. A crafted collection tarball can chain symlink directory entries so that a subsequent file member is written outside the intended destination directory. This allows an attacker who can get a victim to install a malicious collection to overwrite arbitrary files with the privileges of the user running ansible-galaxy, leading to code execution on the control node. This is a bypass of the fix for CVE-2020-10691.

Exploitable remotely over the network, without an account and if a user takes an action; an attacker can seriously compromise confidentiality, integrity or availability.

Attack vector

Network

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

None

Interaction

Required

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Affected products and versions