CVE-2020-10691: Ansible Engine Archive Traversal Vulnerability
Summary
CVE-2020-10691: An archive traversal flaw was found in all ansible-engine versions 2.9.x prior to 2.9.7, when running ansible-galaxy collection install. Affects ansible versions >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.7. Fixed in 2.9.7. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- ansible · Alpine:v3.11
The same CVE-2020-10691 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
Ansible is an open-source automation tool that allows users to automate IT tasks such as configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration. It is widely used in the industry due to its simplicity and flexibility. Ansible Engine is the core component of Ansible that executes playbooks and manages infrastructure. This vulnerability affects all versions of Ansible Engine 2.9.x prior to 2.9.7. The vulnerability arises when running the 'ansible-galaxy collection install' command, which extracts a collection .tar.gz file without properly sanitizing the filenames. This oversight allows an attacker to overwrite any file within the system.
Vulnerability Detail
The archive traversal vulnerability in Ansible Engine poses a significant security risk. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker can overwrite critical system files, potentially leading to remote code execution, privilege escalation, or denial of service. The vulnerability is triggered during the extraction of a collection .tar.gz file, where the directory is created without proper filename sanitization. This allows an attacker to craft a malicious file name that includes directory traversal characters, enabling them to overwrite arbitrary files on the system.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 14.5.0 as of 22 Oct 2026
pip install --upgrade "ansible==14.5.0"Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you need the minimum change
2.9.7
This is the first release that contains the fix.
pip install --upgrade "ansible==2.9.7"Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can exercise caution when running the 'ansible-galaxy collection install' command. It is advisable to only install collections from trusted sources and verify the integrity of the downloaded files. Additionally, users can manually inspect the extracted files to ensure they do not contain any unexpected or malicious content.
Conclusion
The archive traversal vulnerability in Ansible Engine poses a serious security risk, allowing an attacker to overwrite critical system files. It is crucial to upgrade to Ansible Engine version 2.9.7 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. Users should exercise caution when installing collections and verify the integrity of downloaded files. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
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FAQ
The vulnerability allows an attacker to overwrite any file within the system, potentially leading to remote code execution, privilege escalation, or denial of service.
You can use the Vulert Playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability. Simply upload your Pipfile.lock file and the Vulert Playground will analyze it for any open-source vulnerabilities, including this specific Ansible Engine vulnerability.
At the time of this advisory, there are no known public exploits for this vulnerability. However, it is crucial to apply the recommended fix as soon as possible to mitigate the risk.
Yes, this vulnerability can be exploited remotely. An attacker can craft a malicious collection .tar.gz file and trick a user into installing it using the 'ansible-galaxy collection install' command. Once the file is extracted, the attacker gains the ability to overwrite files on the target system.
If updating Ansible Engine is not immediately feasible, it is recommended to exercise caution when installing collections. Only install collections from trusted sources and verify the integrity of the downloaded files. Additionally, manually inspect the extracted files to ensure they do not contain any unexpected or malicious content.
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