Is your Ironic instance vulnerable to Redfish path injection flaw?

The short version

• A path injection vulnerability exists in the Redfish vendor_passthru method of Ironic.
• Affected versions include 18.1.0 to 29.1.1, 30.0.0 to 32.1.1, and others up to 39.0.1.
• No fix has been confirmed yet, leaving these deployments potentially exposed to abuse.

The details

The Metal3.io Security team identified a vulnerability in Ironic, the bare metal provisioning service for OpenStack. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-90458, was disclosed on 22 October 2026 via the oss-security mailing list. The issue lies within the Redfish vendor_passthru method, where the ID parameter is improperly handled. This allows for path injection, meaning an attacker could potentially manipulate file paths or resource identifiers. The advisory specifies that Ironic versions from 18.1.0 up to and including 29.1.1 are affected.

Additionally, versions greater than 30.0.0 up to 32.1.1, greater than 33.0.0 up to 35.1.1, and greater than 36.0.0 up to 39.0.1 are also vulnerable. The source material does not state that a patch or fix exists at this time. Teams using these specific version ranges should assume their systems are exposed until further notice. The advisory does not provide evidence of active exploitation in the wild, but the nature of path injection flaws often allows for unauthorised access or data leakage.

The context

Ironic is a critical component in many cloud infrastructure deployments, particularly those using OpenStack. The Redfish API is commonly used for out-of-band management of bare metal servers. A vulnerability in the vendor_passthru method compromises the integrity of these management interfaces. The wide range of affected versions suggests the flaw has persisted across multiple release cycles.

Security teams managing bare metal infrastructure should verify their Ironic versions against the list provided in the advisory. The disclosure by the Metal3.io team highlights ongoing efforts to improve security in open-source cloud components. No other details regarding the root cause or specific exploitation techniques were provided in the source material.

Next steps

• Verify the installed version of Ironic in your environment.
• Check if your version falls within the affected ranges listed in the advisory.
• Monitor the oss-security mailing list and vendor channels for a confirmed fix.
• Restrict network access to Redfish endpoints where possible to reduce exposure.

What defenders should look for

Teams usually monitor logs for unusual patterns in API requests, particularly those involving path traversal characters or unexpected ID values. Check whether access controls are being bypassed or if sensitive resources are accessed without proper authorisation. Look for anomalies in server behaviour, such as unexpected file reads or configuration changes. First containment moves often involve isolating affected systems from the network or restricting access to the vulnerable endpoints. Review audit trails for any signs of unauthorised activity during the period the flaw was present.

What to do and how to stay safe: Ironic

• Audit your Ironic installations to identify versions affected by CVE-2026-90458.
• Implement strict network segmentation to limit access to Redfish management interfaces.
• Enable detailed logging on Ironic services to detect suspicious request patterns.
• Prepare to apply updates once the vendor provides a confirmed patch for this issue.

Step-by-step guide: How Virtual Patching Works: The Mechanics Behind Inline Protection

General security guidance from the Honeypot Daily newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.

Frequently asked questions

Which Ironic versions are affected by CVE-2026-90458?

Versions 18.1.0 to 29.1.1, 30.0.0 to 32.1.1, 33.0.0 to 35.1.1, and 36.0.0 to 39.0.1 are affected.

Is there a fix available for this vulnerability?

No fix has been confirmed yet, according to the source material.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-90458?

It is a path injection vulnerability in the Redfish vendor_passthru method.