Cleartext storage of sensitive information in assisted-service
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-312.
Summary
A vulnerability in the assisted-service REST API, an optional Assisted Installer (assisted-service) component in the Multicluster Engine (MCE), allows an authenticated user with minimal namespace-scoped privileges to obtain administrative credentials for arbitrary clusters provisioned through the hub. The credentials download endpoint (GET /v2/clusters/{cluster_id}/credentials, which returns the kubeadmin password) and the kubeconfig download endpoint are operational in AUTH_TYPE=local mode, the only authentication mode available in on-premises ACM/MCE hub deployments. The local authenticator unconditionally grants full administrative access to any request bearing a valid JWT, with no per-endpoint restrictions. A valid local JWT is embedded as a plaintext query parameter in InfraEnvStatus.ISODownloadURL and is readable by any user who has get rights on an InfraEnv object in their own namespace. The affected components ship as part of Multicluster Engine (MCE). The Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management (ACM) deployments that include MCE are equally affected. This issue does not affect the hosted SaaS offering (console.redhat.com), which uses a different authentication mode. Successful exploitation gives the attacker the kubeadmin password and kubeconfig for any OpenShift cluster provisioned through the affected hub, granting unrestricted root-level administrative access to those spoke clusters.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | assisted-service | 2.7.0 to before 2.7.10; 2.9.0 to before 2.9.4; 2.10.0 to before 2.10.2; 2.11.0 to before 2.11.1 | 2.7.10, 2.9.4, 2.10.2, 2.11.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.1 | — | 1776983527 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.11 | — | 1776987609 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7 | — | 1777205801 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7 | — | 1777205772 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.9 | — | 1778464111 | Patch available | CNA |
| Red Hat | multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.9 | — | 1778464072 | Patch available | CNA |
- assisted-service Vendor— Affected 2.7.0 to before 2.7.10; 2.9.0 to before 2.9.4; 2.10.0 to before 2.10.2; 2.11.0 to before 2.11.1 Fixed in 2.7.10, 2.9.4, 2.10.2, 2.11.1 Patch available CNA
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.1 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1776983527 Patch available CNA
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.11 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1776987609 Patch available CNA
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1777205801 Patch available CNA
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1777205772 Patch available CNA
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.9 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1778464111 Patch available CNA
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.9 VendorRed Hat Affected — Fixed in 1778464072 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA assisted-service Fixed in 2.7.10, 2.9.4, 2.10.2, 2.11.1
Red Hat 6 advisories
- RHSA-2026:18585 Released 2026-05-19 · Red Hat rating ImportantAssisted Installer RHEL 9 components for Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes 2.9.4
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.9 registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-installer-controller-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-installer-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-service-9-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:18584 Released 2026-05-19 · Red Hat rating ImportantAssisted Installer RHEL 8 components for Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes 2.9.4
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.9 registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-service-8-rhel8
- RHSA-2026:12337 Released 2026-04-30 · Red Hat rating ImportantAssisted Installer RHEL 9 components for Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes 2.11.1
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.11 registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-installer-agent-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-installer-controller-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-installer-rhel9 +1
Show 3 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2026:12116 Released 2026-04-30 · Red Hat rating ImportantAssisted Installer RHEL 9 components for Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes 2.10.2
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.10 registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-installer-agent-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-installer-controller-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-installer-rhel9 +1
- RHSA-2026:11512 Released 2026-04-29 · Red Hat rating ImportantAssisted Installer RHEL 9 components for Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes 2.7.10
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7 registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-installer-agent-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-service-9-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:11511 Released 2026-04-29 · Red Hat rating ImportantAssisted Installer RHEL 8 components for Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes 2.7.10
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7 registry.redhat.io/multicluster-engine/assisted-service-8-rhel8
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.1 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:12116 |
| multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.11 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:12337 |
| multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:11511, RHSA-2026:11512 |
| multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.9 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:18584, RHSA-2026:18585 |
Not affected: 4 products
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.1
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.11
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.7
- multicluster engine for Kubernetes 2.9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-7163
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-62pm-2jjw-mqpx
References
More Red Hat Multicluster Engine For Kubernetes vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-23208 Immutable.js: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution') in immutable CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
Sources
- CVE-2026-7163 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-7163 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-62pm-2jjw-mqpx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-7163 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences