CVE-2024-9902

ansible-core Incorrect Authorization vulnerability

A flaw was found in Ansible. The ansible-core user module can allow an unprivileged user to silently create or replace the contents of any file on any system path and take ownership of it when a privileged user executes the user module against the unprivileged user's home directory. If the unprivileged user has traversal permissions on the directory containing the exploited target file, they retain full control over the contents of the file as its owner.

The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.

CVE-2024-9902 has a CVSS score of 6.3 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.14.18rc1, 2.15.13rc1, 2.16.13rc1, 2.17.6rc1, 2.18.0rc2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2024-9902? CVE-2024-9902 is a medium-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in ansible-core (pip), affecting versions < 2.14.18rc1. It is fixed in 2.14.18rc1, 2.15.13rc1, 2.16.13rc1, 2.17.6rc1, 2.18.0rc2. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-9902? CVE-2024-9902 has a CVSS score of 6.3 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of ansible-core are affected by CVE-2024-9902? ansible-core (pip) versions < 2.14.18rc1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-9902? Yes. CVE-2024-9902 is fixed in 2.14.18rc1, 2.15.13rc1, 2.16.13rc1, 2.17.6rc1, 2.18.0rc2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-9902 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-9902 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2024-9902 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2024-9902?
   • Upgrade ansible-core to 2.14.18rc1 or later
   • Upgrade ansible-core to 2.15.13rc1 or later
   • Upgrade ansible-core to 2.16.13rc1 or later
   • Upgrade ansible-core to 2.17.6rc1 or later
   • Upgrade ansible-core to 2.18.0rc2 or later

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