Automation-controller: automation-controller: email notification backend allows ssrf via user-controlled smtp host/port (internal port-scan oracle, smtp password exfil)

Summary

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.

Timeline

1. Sep 23, 2026, 7:40 PM UTCCVE published
2. Sep 24, 2026, 1:59 PM UTCCISA SSVC assessment

   Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial

3. Oct 16, 2026, 11:55 AM UTCRecord last updated

Affected versions

• ansible-automation-platform-27/controller-rhel9

  Version range not reported

• ansible-automation-platform-26/controller-rhel9

  Version range not reported

• automation-controller

  Version range not reported

References 3