Portainer: Arbitrary File Read via Git Symlink Injection in Stack Auto-Update
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-200.
Summary
Portainer Community Edition is a lightweight service delivery platform for containerized applications that can be used to manage Docker, Swarm, Kubernetes and ACI environments. From 2.33.0 to before 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0, Portainer supports deploying stacks from Git repositories. When a Git-backed stack is created or updated, Portainer clones the repository using go-git v5, which translates Git blob entries with mode 0o120000 (symlink) into real OS symlinks on the host filesystem via os.Symlink. The only entry blocked from becoming a symlink is .gitmodules; every other path is created as a symlink without validation. Portainer's GET /api/stacks/{id}/file endpoint then reads the stack entry point with os.ReadFile, which follows OS symlinks transparently. A repository containing docker-compose.yml as a symlink to an arbitrary filesystem path causes the symlink target's contents to be returned verbatim in the HTTP response. Any authenticated user with rights to create or update a Git-backed stack — the default configuration in Portainer CE — can read arbitrary files accessible to the Portainer process. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| portainer | portainer | 2.33.0 to before 2.33.8; 2.39.0 to before 2.39.2; 2.40.0 to before 2.41.0 | 2.33.8, 2.39.2, 2.41.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) | 2.33.0 to before 2.33.8 | 2.33.8 | Patch available | GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr |
| — | github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) | 2.39.0 to before 2.39.2 | 2.39.2 | Patch available | GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr |
| — | github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) | 2.40.0 to before 2.41.0 | 2.41.0 | Patch available | GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr |
- portainer Vendorportainer Affected 2.33.0 to before 2.33.8; 2.39.0 to before 2.39.2; 2.40.0 to before 2.41.0 Fixed in 2.33.8, 2.39.2, 2.41.0 Patch available CNA
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) Vendor— Affected 2.33.0 to before 2.33.8 Fixed in 2.33.8 Patch available GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) Vendor— Affected 2.39.0 to before 2.39.2 Fixed in 2.39.2 Patch available GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) Vendor— Affected 2.40.0 to before 2.41.0 Fixed in 2.41.0 Patch available GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr
Remediation
- Fix · CNA portainer (portainer) Fixed in 2.33.8, 2.39.2, 2.41.0
- Fix · GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) Fixed in 2.33.8 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) Fixed in 2.39.2 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) Fixed in 2.41.0 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-44881
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr
References
More Portainer vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-32726 Portainer: Missing authorization on Docker plugin endpoints allows host RCE CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.4
- TI-2026-32758 Portainer: JWT accepted in URL query leaks tokens to logs and referers CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.7
- TI-2026-32727 Portainer: Endpoint security bypass via Swarm service create/update CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.4
- TI-2020-14859 Portainer 1.24.1 and earlier is affected by incorrect access control that may lead to… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-22245 Portainer before 2.20.0 allows redirects when the target is not index.yaml. CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2018-13786 A vulnerability was found in Portainer before 1.20.0. CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-44881 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-44881 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences