GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r: Pip/ansible-jailexec vulnerability

Published Aug 12, 2026
·
Updated

Through version 1.3.0, the jailexec connection plugin's putfile resolved a transfer's destination to a path on the jail host (<jail filesystem root> + <destination>) and ran mkdir -p and mv there as root on the host. Those commands follow symbolic links, and the path was operated on outside the jail, so a symlink existing inside the jail was followed by the host-side, root-privileged mv.

A party controlling content inside a managed jail (the jail's root, or any process able to create a symlink in a directory an Ansible task later writes to) can therefore cause an arbitrary root-owned write on the host, outside the jail — a full jail escape. Arbitrary root-owned host writes are readily escalated to host compromise (e.g. cron, rc.d, authorizedkeys).

Preconditions: the operator runs a copy/template/fetch-style task (anything using putfile) against the jail, and the attacker can place a symlink inside the jail at or above the task's destination before the transfer runs.

Patches: Fixed in 2.0.0. File transfers now run inside the jail via jexec (mkdir -p <dir> && cat > <dest> for putfile; cat < <src> for fetchfile), so every path resolves within the jail's chroot. An in-jail symlink can at most redirect within the same jail and can no longer reach the host.

Workarounds: None in affected versions; upgrade to 2.0.0.

Resources: - https://github.com/chofstede/ansiblejailexec/blob/main/docs/security/advisory-2.0.0-jail-escape.md - https://github.com/chofstede/ansiblejailexec/pull/6

Affected Software

1 affected componentFixes available
pip/ansible-jailexec<2.0.0
2.0.0

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/ansible-jailexec to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.0.0
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade ansible_jailexec (jail escape via put_file/fetch_file symlink handling) to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.0.0

Event History

Aug 12, 2026
Advisory Published
via GitHub·11:21 PM
Data Sourced
via GitHub·11:21 PM
DescriptionWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r?

The severity of GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r is rated at 77.

2

How do I fix GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r?

To fix GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r, upgrade the ansible-jailexec package to version 1.3.1 or later.

3

What vulnerabilities are associated with GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r?

GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r is associated with vulnerabilities that allow unauthorized file transfers and command execution on the host.

4

Which versions of ansible-jailexec are affected by GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r?

Versions of ansible-jailexec up to and including 1.3.0 are affected by GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r.

5

What users are at risk from GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r?

Users of the ansible-jailexec connection plugin, particularly those running vulnerable versions, are at risk from GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r.

Contact

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GHSA-cxgv-hp74-jj7r - Pip/ansible-jailexec vulnerability - SecAlerts