CVE-2026-84721 — Automation-controller: automation-controller: email notification backend allows ssrf via user-controlled smtp host/port (internal port-scan oracle, smtp password exfil)
A server-side request forgery flaw was found in the Ansible Automation Platform automation-controller email notification backend. The email backend passes the user-supplied SMTP host and port from a notification template directly to the SMTP client without validating that the target is not an internal, loopback, link-local, or reserved address. An authenticated user with organization notification-admin permission can create or modify an email notification template pointing at an arbitrary internal address, trigger a test, and have the controller task process open a raw TCP connection to that address. The resulting connection error is reflected back through the notification record, providing a three-state internal port-scan oracle (open, closed, filtered) over the control-plane's cluster network, including the in-cluster Kubernetes API. When a shared organization template holds a stored SMTP password, redirecting the host can also cause that credential to be transmitted to an attacker-controlled server.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Red Hat Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2, Red Hat Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.7).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (ssrf), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.7 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.4 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 3.1 | 2.7 | secalert@redhat.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 6.4 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 6.4 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | redhat via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N (score shown at the top: secalert@redhat.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Monitor outbound requests from the server to internal IPs and cloud metadata endpoints.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · red hat/red hat ansible automation platform 2.7, red hat/red hat ansible automation platform 2
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 6.4
- Source status changed · → Awaiting Analysis
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× References added · Oct 16, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
5 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-109131 Ansible-ui: ansible-ui: stored xss via unsafe javascript url scheme in hub collection module documentation (formatparturl) 1d
- High CVE-2026-92982 Ansible-operator-plugins: ansible operator plugins: arbitrary code execution via jinja2 template injection 1d
- High CVE-2026-89091 Ansible-core: ansible-core: ansible-galaxy collection install symlink path escape allows arbitrary file write / code execution 7d
- Medium CVE-2026-103868 Pulp-container: registry credentials are reused across remotes in a worker 9d
- Medium CVE-2026-103869 Pulp-ansible: bearer tokens are reused across remotes in a worker 9d
- Medium CVE-2026-106033 Ansible: ansible-ui: ansible ui dom xss in /redirect next parameter 10d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-84721 is "Automation-controller: automation-controller: email notification backend allows ssrf via user-controlled smtp host/port (internal port-scan oracle, smtp password exfil)", rated Medium. It affects Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 (Red Hat); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 6.4 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.17% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.