CVE-2026-44881: Portainer information disclosure (CVSS 9.9)

Description

Portainer Community Edition is a lightweight service delivery platform for containerized applications that can be used to manage Docker, Swarm, Kubernetes and ACI environments. From 2.33.0 to before 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0, Portainer supports deploying stacks from Git repositories. When a Git-backed stack is created or updated, Portainer clones the repository using go-git v5, which translates Git blob entries with mode 0o120000 (symlink) into real OS symlinks on the host filesystem via os.Symlink. The only entry blocked from becoming a symlink is .gitmodules; every other path is created as a symlink without validation. Portainer's GET /api/stacks/{id}/file endpoint then reads the stack entry point with os.ReadFile, which follows OS symlinks transparently. A repository containing docker-compose.yml as a symlink to an arbitrary filesystem path causes the symlink target's contents to be returned verbatim in the HTTP response. Any authenticated user with rights to create or update a Git-backed stack — the default configuration in Portainer CE — can read arbitrary files accessible to the Portainer process. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork

Attack complexityLow

Privileges requiredLow

User interactionNone

ScopeChanged

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Portainer2.40.0 · ≥ 2.33.0 < 2.33.8 · ≥ 2.34.0 < 2.39.2

Remediation

Fixed in

Portainer≥ 2.33.8

References

https://github.com/portainer/portainer/security/advisories/GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wrExploitThird Party Advisory

Related CVEs

Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2026-44881 being actively exploited?

CVE-2026-44881 is not in the CISA KEV catalog. A public exploit reference exists, so treat it as exploitable. Its EPSS exploit probability is 0.58%.

How severe is CVE-2026-44881?

CVE-2026-44881 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 0.58% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2026-44881?

Affected products include Portainer.

How do I fix CVE-2026-44881?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Portainer 2.33.8 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2026-44881 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

See how prioritisation works Book a demo