CVE-2026-11332: Ansible-Core Arbitrary Code Execution via Role Injection

Technical summary

CVE-2026-11332 is an argument injection vulnerability (CWE-88) in ansible-core's ansible-galaxy role install functionality. The vulnerability exists in how the command processes dependency specifications from a role's meta/requirements.yml file. Specifically, the src field—which specifies the source repository for role dependencies—is not properly sanitized before being passed to git commands. A malicious role author can inject arbitrary git configuration flags (such as --upload-pack) through this field, leading to arbitrary command execution in the context of the user running ansible-galaxy. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 reflects high severity due to local attack vector, low attack complexity, and impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Business impact

This vulnerability directly threatens organizations using Ansible for infrastructure automation and configuration management. The risk is particularly acute in environments where developers or operators regularly install third-party roles from Ansible Galaxy or internal repositories. An attacker can gain code execution with the privileges of the user running ansible-galaxy—potentially a developer workstation, CI/CD pipeline, or automation server. Successful exploitation could lead to theft of credentials stored in ~/.ssh or environment variables, injection of malicious playbooks into infrastructure-as-code repositories, lateral movement within the network, or sabotage of infrastructure configurations. The attack requires user interaction (installing a role) but no special privileges, making it feasible for widespread campaigns targeting Ansible users.

Affected systems

All versions of ansible-core prior to patched releases are affected. The vulnerability is triggered specifically through the ansible-galaxy role install command when processing roles with malicious dependency specifications. Any system where users install Ansible roles is potentially vulnerable, including developer workstations, CI/CD runners (Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions), Ansible Automation Platform instances, and dedicated Ansible control nodes. The attack surface expands if users install roles from untrusted sources or if role repositories are compromised.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires crafting a malicious role with a specially formatted meta/requirements.yml file and either hosting it on a public/private repository or waiting for installation from a compromised source. Once the role is installed via ansible-galaxy role install, the injected git flags execute automatically—no additional user action is needed beyond the initial install command. While this is not a zero-interaction vulnerability (user must initiate the install), it is straightforward to exploit because: (1) the attack is transparent to the user, (2) no special system privileges are required, and (3) standard development workflows naturally include installing dependencies. The low attack complexity and lack of privilege escalation requirements make this a practical threat.

Remediation

Organizations must update ansible-core to a patched version that properly sanitizes the src field in role dependency specifications. After patching, conduct an audit of installed roles to identify any that may have been compromised or installed from untrusted sources. In the interim, restrict role installations to trusted internal repositories only, disable public Galaxy access if possible, and educate developers to review role meta/requirements.yml files before installation. Consider implementing code review processes for any custom or third-party roles before they are deployed in production automation.

Patch guidance

Verify the latest ansible-core release notes and security advisories from the Ansible project for patched versions addressing CVE-2026-11332. Apply patches across all systems running ansible-core, prioritizing CI/CD pipelines, Automation Platform instances, and shared control nodes. Test patched versions in a non-production environment to ensure compatibility with existing playbooks and roles. If in-place upgrades are not immediately feasible, apply compensating controls such as role repository whitelisting and review of existing role dependencies.

Detection guidance

Monitor ansible-galaxy and git command executions for unusual flags or malformed src field values in role meta files. Inspect meta/requirements.yml files across deployed roles for suspicious git configuration options. Review recent role installations and their sources—particularly those from public Galaxy, forks, or recently-modified repositories. Check for unexpected git processes spawned during ansible-galaxy role install runs. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools should flag unexpected child processes or command-line argument patterns that deviate from normal Ansible role installation patterns.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits immediate prioritization due to its high CVSS score (7.8), practical exploitability, and presence in widely-used infrastructure automation tooling. The attack does not require elevated privileges, relies only on user interaction to install a role (a routine operation), and grants full code execution. Organizations relying on Ansible for configuration management face direct business continuity risk. The attack surface is broad because role installation is a standard development practice, and compromised or malicious roles could be injected into supply chains via public repositories or internal forks.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 (HIGH) reflects: Local attack vector (user's machine), Low attack complexity (straightforward injection), No privilege requirement (executes as the invoking user), User interaction required (installing a role), and high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability (arbitrary code execution). The score appropriately captures the severity—this is not a critical remote network vulnerability, but it is a high-risk local code execution flaw that affects a widely-used automation tool and requires minimal attacker sophistication.

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