Container Image Signature Policy Flaw in Bootc and Ostree
CVE-2026-16460

7.4HIGH

Key Information:

Vendor

Red Hat
Status
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Red Hat Hardened Images
Vendor
CVE Published:
19 October 2026

What is CVE-2026-16460?

A vulnerability exists in Bootc and Ostree where previously staged deployments are finalized without revalidating against the current container signature policy. This flaw allows unsigned OS content, which was staged under a prior permissive policy, to remain operational even after a policy update enforces stricter conditions. As a result, a system may reboot and execute unsigned images, creating the potential for full host compromise.

References

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-16460
vdb-entryx_refsource_REDHAT
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2503167
issue-trackingx_refsource_REDHAT

CVSS V3.1

Score:
7.4
Severity:
HIGH
Confidentiality:
High
Integrity:
High
Availability:
High
Attack Vector:
Local
Attack Complexity:
High
Privileges Required:
None
User Interaction:
None
Scope:
Unchanged

Timeline

  • Vulnerability published

  • Vulnerability Reserved

Credit

Red Hat would like to thank Christopher Lusk (North Echo Security Research) for reporting this issue.
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