CVE-2026-25705

Rancher Extensions have arbitrary file access via path traversal

Workarounds

There is no workaround. The user must be careful about which UI Plugins they install.

Resources

If there are any questions or comments about this advisory:

• Reach out to the SUSE Rancher Security team for security related inquiries.
• Open an issue in the Rancher repository.
• Verify with the support matrix and product support lifecycle.

A vulnerability has been identified in Rancher's Extensions where malicious code can be injected in Rancher through a path traversal in the compressedEndpoint field inside a UIPlugin deployment. A malicious UI extension could abuse that to:

• Overwrite Rancher binaries or configuration to inject code.
• Write to /var/lib/rancher/ to tamper with cluster state.
• If hostPath volumes are mounted, write to the host node filesystem.
• Use this issue to chain with other attack vectors.

By default only the administrator can deploy UI extensions, unless permissions are granted to other users. It's always recommended to only install extensions that come from sources trusted by the user.

Please consult the associated MITRE CAPEC-126 - Technique - Path Traversal for further information about this category of attack.

CVE-2026-25705 has a CVSS score of 8.4 (High). The vector is network-reachable, high 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 (2.14.1, 2.13.5, 2.12.9, 2.11.13); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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This vulnerability is addressed by ensuring that:

• The file defined by the UI Plugin CR's compressedEndpoint has to be created inside the cache directory and cannot contain ../. If that is not possible, the installation will fail and the file won't be created.
• The icons referenced by Cluster Repos' index.yaml file always resolves to a file inside the repository directory.

Patched versions of Rancher include releases v2.14.1, v2.13.5, v2.12.9, v2.11.13.

1. What is CVE-2026-25705? CVE-2026-25705 is a high-severity security vulnerability in github.com/rancher/rancher (go), affecting versions >= 2.14.0, < 2.14.1. It is fixed in 2.14.1, 2.13.5, 2.12.9, 2.11.13.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-25705? CVE-2026-25705 has a CVSS score of 8.4 (High). 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 github.com/rancher/rancher are affected by CVE-2026-25705? github.com/rancher/rancher (go) versions >= 2.14.0, < 2.14.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-25705? Yes. CVE-2026-25705 is fixed in 2.14.1, 2.13.5, 2.12.9, 2.11.13. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-25705 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-25705 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-2026-25705 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-2026-25705?
   • Upgrade github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.14.1 or later
   • Upgrade github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.13.5 or later
   • Upgrade github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.12.9 or later
   • Upgrade github.com/rancher/rancher to 2.11.13 or later

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/rancher/rancher