---
id: CVE-2026-94416
title: >-
  An authorization bypass was found in the Ansible Automation Platform (AAP)
  gateway
summary: >-
  An authorization bypass was found in the Ansible Automation Platform (AAP)
  gateway. The gateway API allows an authenticated administrator to create a new
  service key for the Controller service cluster. Because service-key creation
  is not…
severity: medium
cvss: 6.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N'
cwe:
  - CWE-290
vendor: Red Hat
product: ansible-automation-platform-25/gateway-rhel8
affected:
  - ansible-automation-platform-25/gateway-rhel8
  - ansible-automation-platform-26/gateway-rhel9 (all versions)
  - ansible-automation-platform-27/gateway-rhel9 (all versions)
  - automation-gateway (all versions)
published: '2026-09-24'
updated: '2026-09-24'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-24T16:17:26.293'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-94416'
references:
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-94416'
    label: secalert@redhat.com
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2537465'
    label: secalert@redhat.com
  - url: 'https://github.com/ansible/ansible.platform/pull/254'
    label: secalert@redhat.com
  - url: 'https://github.com/ansible/jewel/pull/235'
    label: secalert@redhat.com
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-09-24T13:58:49.431691Z'
ingestedAt: '2026-09-24T13:43:25.671Z'
---

## Overview

An authorization bypass was found in the Ansible Automation Platform (AAP) gateway. The gateway API allows an authenticated administrator to create a new service key for the Controller service cluster. Because service-key creation is not restricted to the installer-provisioned provisioning path, an administrator-issued key is cryptographically indistinguishable from a legitimate one and can be used to forge a service-authentication token that impersonates the Controller service. Combined with the gateway OIDC workload-identity endpoint (enabled via FEATURE_OIDC_WORKLOAD_IDENTITY_ENABLED), the attacker can drive the gateway to sign Workload Identity Tokens (WITs) for arbitrary Controller workloads. A downstream resource server such as HashiCorp Vault that trusts the gateway OIDC key will accept the forged WIT and return the AAP credentials bound to that workload, disclosing secrets beyond the attacker's authorization boundary.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.