# CVE-2026-90959: Pulpcore: pulpcore: file:// scheme allowlist bypass in content upload file_url field enables arbitrary file read and pulp container registry signing key theft

Status: published. Published: 2026-09-24. Updated: 2026-11-12.

A path traversal vulnerability was found in pulpcore. The content upload API accepts a 'file_url' parameter that allows users with file repository privileges to specify a local file URL for Pulp to download and store. A URL scheme validation check uses a string prefix comparison that only rejects URLs beginning with 'file://', but Python's URL parser recognizes the 'file:' scheme without double slashes, creating a mismatch between what is validated and what is dispatched to the file downloader. An authenticated user with low-privilege repository permissions can supply a specially crafted URL using relative path traversal sequences to read any file accessible to the Pulp server process. In deployments that include Pulp Container, successful exploitation allows an attacker to read the container registry token signing private key and forge bearer tokens, granting unauthorized access to all private container repositories in the affected registry.

## Remediation

- workaround: No mitigation is currently available that meets Red Hat Product Security's standards for usability, deployment, applicability, or stability. (source: CNA: redhat)

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9 (python3.12-pulpcore): ≥ 0:3.49.71-1.el9ap; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Satellite 6.16 for RHEL 8 (python-pulpcore): ≥ 0:3.49.39-5.el8pc; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Satellite 6.16 for RHEL 9 (python-pulpcore): ≥ 0:3.49.39-5.el9pc; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Satellite 6.17 for RHEL 9 (python-pulpcore): ≥ 0:3.63.21-4.el9pc; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Satellite 6.18 for RHEL 9 (python3.12-pulpcore): ≥ 0:3.73.45-1.el9pc; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 (ansible-automation-platform-26/hub-rhel9): ≥ 1791947385; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.7 (ansible-automation-platform-27/hub-rhel9): ≥ 1792388670; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 (ansible-automation-platform-24/hub-rhel8): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 (ansible-automation-platform-25/hub-rhel8): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 (pulpcore-selinux): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 (python3.11-pulpcore): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 (python3x-pulpcore): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 (python-pulpcore): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Satellite 6 (pulpcore-obsolete-packages): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Satellite 6 (pulpcore-selinux): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Satellite 6 (rubygem-pulpcore_client): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 4 for Cloud Providers (pulpcore-selinux): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 4 for Cloud Providers (python-pulpcore): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 4 for Cloud Providers (python-pulpcore-client): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 (python-pulpcore-client): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 (rhui5/rhua-rhel9): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 (rhui5/rhua-tp-rhel9): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 8.1 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N; source: CNA: redhat

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.41% as of 2026-11-12; percentile 35.76%

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

- Weaknesses: CWE-22

## Exploit evidence

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

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:87004 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:87120 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:87124 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:99949 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:99950 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:99952 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-90959 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2533037 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-90959; retrieved 2026-11-13; source updated 2026-11-12

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-90959; retrieved 2026-11-13; source updated Not reported

Revision: 719e6f0d8530973cea29c5b57d3fad9b89c410357bd36725fb7cf38eb5be94f9

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-90959

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