# CVE-2026-11837: Ansible-collection-ansible-posix: ansible.posix authorized_key: local privilege escalation via symlink-following chown

Status: published. Published: 2026-06-10. Updated: 2026-11-04.

A local privilege escalation vulnerability was found in the ansible.posix authorized_key module. The module's keyfile() function uses os.chown() instead of os.lchown() and opens files without O_NOFOLLOW when managing SSH authorized keys. An unprivileged local user can pre-stage symbolic links in their ~/.ssh directory to redirect file ownership changes to arbitrary system paths when an operator runs the authorized_key task as root, leading to local privilege escalation.

## Remediation

- workaround: The following practices would help for avoiding exposure and mitigate this flaw:

1) Do not run the ansible.posix authorized_key module with elevated privileges against untrusted user accounts. 
2) Validate that target user home directories do not contain unexpected symbolic links before running playbooks. (source: CNA: redhat)
- workaround: The following practices would help for avoiding exposure and mitigate this flaw:

1) Do not run the ansible.posix authorized_key module with elevated privileges against untrusted user accounts. 
2) Validate that target user home directories do not contain unexpected symbolic links before running playbooks. (source: ADP: redhat-SADP)

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (rhc-worker-playbook): ≥ 0:0.2.10-1.el10_2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0 Extended Update Support (rhc-worker-playbook): ≥ 0:0.2.3-6.el10_0.2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support (rhc-worker-playbook): ≥ 0:0.1.8-2.el8_6.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support Long-Life Add-On (rhc-worker-playbook): ≥ 0:0.1.8-2.el8_6.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Telecommunications Update Service (rhc-worker-playbook): ≥ 0:0.1.8-5.el8_8.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Update Services for SAP Solutions (rhc-worker-playbook): ≥ 0:0.1.8-5.el8_8.1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (rhel-system-roles): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (rhc-worker-playbook): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (rhel-system-roles): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (rhc-worker-playbook): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (rhel-system-roles): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenStack Platform 17.1 (ansible-collection-ansible-posix): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenStack Platform 18.0 (ansible-collection-ansible-posix): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (rhc-worker-playbook): Version range not reported. Source: ADP: redhat-SADP
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (rhel-system-roles): Version range not reported. Source: ADP: redhat-SADP
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (rhc-worker-playbook): Version range not reported. Source: ADP: redhat-SADP
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (rhel-system-roles): Version range not reported. Source: ADP: redhat-SADP
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (rhc-worker-playbook): Version range not reported. Source: ADP: redhat-SADP
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (rhel-system-roles): Version range not reported. Source: ADP: redhat-SADP
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenStack Platform 17.1 (ansible-collection-ansible-posix): Version range not reported. Source: ADP: redhat-SADP
- Red Hat / Red Hat OpenStack Platform 18.0 (ansible-collection-ansible-posix): Version range not reported. Source: ADP: redhat-SADP

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 7.3 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: CNA: redhat

- CVSS 3.1: 7.3 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: ADP: redhat-SADP

- CVSS 3.1: 7.3 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: NVD: secalert@redhat.com

- CVSS 3.1: 7.3 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: NVD: 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.16% as of 2026-11-04; percentile 5.56%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact total; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-59

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:42946 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:79112 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:80508 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82339 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-11837 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2487424 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-11837 (ADP: redhat-SADP; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2487424 (ADP: redhat-SADP; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-11837.json (ADP: redhat-SADP; x_sadp-csaf-vex)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:42946 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:79112 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:80508 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82339 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-11837 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2487424 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-11837 (0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2487424 (0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c)

- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-11837.json (0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-11837; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated 2026-11-04

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-11837; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated 2026-11-04

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-11837; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated Not reported

Revision: 46a34772c52aadd7d6615be347f31a1f18df33d067726e5e1903632433e72046

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-11837

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