# CVE-2026-44917: OpenStack Ironic arbitrary file read via pxe_template

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44917-openstack-ironic-arbitrary-file-read-via-pxe-template  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-04. Updated: 2026-06-04  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-44917 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.9 · Published 2026-06-04

OpenStack Ironic is a service used to manage and provision physical (bare metal) servers. A vulnerability in how it handles boot templates allows an authorized project administrator or manager to read sensitive local files from the server running the Ironic service. This could lead to the exposure of configuration files containing credentials or other private system data, potentially allowing further unauthorized access to the infrastructure.

Technologies: [OpenStack Ironic](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/ironic). Vendors: [OpenStack](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/openstack).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-44917 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-44917 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-44917?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.9, published 4 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** OpenStack Ironic >=17.0.0 <26.1.7, >=27.0.0 <29.0.6, >=30.0.0 <32.0.2, >=33.0.0 <35.0.2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44917?** A patch was published on 2026-06-04: Fixed in version 35.0.2 and various backported releases Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-44917 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-44917?** Check whether you run OpenStack Ironic at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A path traversal vulnerability exists in OpenStack Ironic's boot interface. The 'driver_info[pxe_template]' parameter is used as a template path without sufficient validation, allowing it to be pointed to arbitrary local files on the Ironic conductor host (e.g., /etc/ironic/ironic.conf). When the conductor renders the template using Jinja2, it reads the specified file and places the contents into a location accessible via TFTP or HTTP for netbooting. An attacker with 'baremetal:node:update:driver_info' permissions (typically a project admin or manager) can exploit this to extract sensitive files. The fix involves implementing an allowlist for permitted template directories and validating paths to prevent absolute path escapes.

## Affected products

- OpenStack Ironic >=17.0.0 <26.1.7, >=27.0.0 <29.0.6, >=30.0.0 <32.0.2, >=33.0.0 <35.0.2

## Timeline

- 2026-04-14: disclosed: Bug reported by Metal3.io security team
- 2026-06-03: advisory: OpenStack Security Advisory OSSA-2026-019 published
- 2026-06-04: patched: Fixed in version 35.0.2 and various backported releases

## References

- [https://bugs.launchpad.net/ironic/+bug/2148319](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ironic/+bug/2148319)
- [https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/06/03/13](https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/06/03/13)

## Related threats

- [OpenStack Ironic path injection in Redfish vendor_passthru](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-90458-openstack-ironic-before-39-0-1-allows-delete-and-get-via-vendor)
- [OpenStack Ironic authorization bypass in node maintenance setting](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-89419-openstack-ironic-before-39-0-1-sometimes-allows-a-user-to-change)
- [OpenStack Ironic denial of service via gzip bomb in configdrive](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115638-openstack-ironic-through-39-0-1-allows-a-denial-of-service-via-a)
- [OpenStack Ironic credential leakage in HTTP Basic Authentication](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-90461-openstack-ironic-credential-leakage-in-http-basic-authentication)
- [OpenStack Ironic autodetect deploy interface cleaning bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-74250-openstack-ironic-autodetect-deploy-interface-cleaning-bypass)