HighCVE-2026-66138

OpenStack Ironic Python Agent: OS Command Injection (CVE-2026-66138)

Published 24.07.2026Last modified 24.10.2026Sources: Red Hat, CVE.org

What is affected, what to do

A vulnerability was found in Ironic-Python-Agent's (IPA) time syncing code. The value of the ntp_server configuration option is inserted into a shell command without sanitization.

The available sources name no fixed version. Check the vendor guidance in the references below.

Affected: OpenStack Ironic Python Agent eq 11.6.0..11.6.0
OpenStack Ironic Python Agent lte 11.3.0..11.5.1
OpenStack Ironic Python Agent lte 11.0.0..11.2.1
OpenStack Ironic Python Agent lte 6.0.0..10.2.3

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Metrics

7.2

Priority

XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.

Source: NVD, CVSS v3

7.2

CVSS v3

Severity High on the scale from 0 to 10.

Source: Red Hat, CVE.org

0.5 %

EPSS score

Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.

Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 41.1

Show all metrics

Severity: High
Priority (0–325) The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first? Read in glossary: 70.53 Methodology
Exploit maturity An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack. Read in glossary: no public PoC known
XIEM Effective CVSS XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command. Read in glossary: 7.2 Methodology
CVSS v3 CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions. Read in glossary: 7.2
EPSS score The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“. Read in glossary: 0.5 %; Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.
EPSS percentile The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking. Read in glossary: 41.1; High — this CVE ranks above the median of all CVEs scored today (rank ≥ 36%).
KEV status The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching. Read in glossary: —
Published: 24.07.2026
CISA assessment (SSVC): Exploitation: none known · not automatable · Technical impact: total; Source: CISA Vulnrichment, as of 24 July 2026
CWE CWE is a catalogue of typical weakness types in software and hardware — such as flawed input validation, unsafe memory handling or poor authentication. Where a CVE names a concrete vulnerability in a concrete product, a CWE describes the underlying class of defect. Read in glossary: CWE-78

Detection rules

No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

Classification under NIS2 and CRA

Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

NIS2 NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management. Read in glossary: High technical severity: assess and remediate the vulnerability in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2 and document the decision.
CRA The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates. Read in glossary: From 11.12.2027, Annex I Part II CRA requires manufacturers of affected products with digital elements to handle vulnerabilities without delay and provide security updates.
ISO/IEC 27001 ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security. Read in glossary: Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

Description

A vulnerability was found in Ironic-Python-Agent's (IPA) time syncing code. The value of the ntp_server configuration option is inserted into a shell command without sanitization. This command is run as root very early in the IPA startup flow, allowing an attacker to run arbitrary commands as root. This value can be set in three ways; directly in an operator-created ramdisk, set via kernel command line using Ironic, or passing the parameters via mDNS responder for mDNS enabled installation. For the most common, and highest security risk case, this means a Manager role associated with the project set as node.owner may be able to trigger this vulnerability.

Source: redhat_csaf, NVD (NIST), CVE.org (MITRE), cvelistv5

Affected products

The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.

Affected products
		Affected versions	Fixed in
OpenStack	Ironic Python Agent	`6.0.0 – ≤ 10.2.3` `11.3.0 – ≤ 11.5.1` `11.0.0 – ≤ 11.2.1` `11.6.0`	— — — —

Vendors and products

OpenStack Ironic Python Agent

Weakness classes (CWE)

CWE-78Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Base
The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.
Entry at MITRE CWE-78

References & sources

bugs.launchpad.netironic-python-agent/+bug/2160050
security.openstack.orgossa/OSSA-2026-027.html
openwall.comlists/oss-security/2026/07/24/26

Changes to this CVE

Who changed this CVE and when: NVD (analysis, affected products, CVSS), the CVE publisher (CNA) and additional providers such as CISA (ADP).

25.07.2026Record modifiedCVE Program
New references:
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/24/26
Show the original change
Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
Type Action Before After
Reference added
—
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/24/26
Source identifier: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108

Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
Type	Action	Before	After
Reference	added	—	http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/24/26

24.07.2026Record modifiedCISA ADP

CISA assessment (SSVC): exploitation: none known, automatable: no

Show the original change

Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
Type	Action	Before	After
SSVC assessment	added	—	{"id":"CVE-2026-66138","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"exploitation":"none"},{"automatable":"no"},{"technicalImpact":"total"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2026-07-24T12:26:51.060531Z"}

Source identifier: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

24.07.2026ReceivedMITRE

CVSS V3.1: AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness type: CWE-78

Description added or changed

New references:

Show 6 original changes

Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
Type	Action	Before	After
Affected versions (publisher)	added	—	Ironic Python Agent
Description	added	—	In OpenStack Ironic Python Agent through 11.6.0, a project-scoped user with the manager role can achieve arbitrary code execution on a running Ironic-Python-Agent via a maliciously constructed configuration, because the value of ntp_server is passed to a shell.
CVSS	added	—	AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness type (CWE)	added	—	CWE-78
Reference	added	—	https://bugs.launchpad.net/ironic-python-agent/+bug/2160050
Reference	added	—	https://security.openstack.org/ossa/OSSA-2026-027.html

Source identifier: cve@mitre.org

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<a href="https://intel.neosec.eu/en/cve/CVE-2026-66138"><img src="https://intel.neosec.eu/badge/cve/CVE-2026-66138.svg?lang=en" alt="CVE-2026-66138 – NEOSEC Intel" height="20"></a>