CVE-2026-50112: Apache CloudStack RCE via metalink URL validation bypass

CVE-2026-50112 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.8 · Published 2026-08-21

Apache CloudStack is an open-source cloud orchestration platform used to manage virtual infrastructure. An authenticated tenant can upload VM templates pointing to attacker-controlled metalink files, allowing the CloudStack infrastructure to fetch and execute malicious content. This enables remote code execution as root on the underlying KVM hypervisor, affecting other tenants' virtual machines and giving attackers complete control over the compute infrastructure.

Technologies: Apache Cloudstack. Vendors: Apache.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-50112 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-50112 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-50112?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.8, published 21 August 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Apache Cloudstack 4.14.0.0 through 4.20.3.0, 4.21.0.0 through 4.22.1.0.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-50112?
A patch was published on 2026: Fixed in versions 4.20.3.1, 4.22.1.1, and later Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-50112 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a web application.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-50112?
Check whether you run Apache Cloudstack 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

The vulnerability is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) combined with remote code execution via improper validation of metalink file URLs. When a CloudStack user registers a VM template with directDownload=true and a URL pointing to a .metalink XML file, the management server fetches the metalink and extracts inner URLs without validating them against the configured scheme allowlist. The KVM agent then downloads content from these unvalidated URLs, which can point to internal services (SSRF) or be used to inject arbitrary commands. An authenticated user with the default User role can trigger this via the public CloudStack API, achieving cross-tenant root code execution on KVM hypervisors. The vulnerability affects CloudStack versions 4.14.0.0 through 4.20.3.0 and 4.21.0.0 through 4.22.1.0; patches are available in 4.20.3.1, 4.22.1.1, and later.

Affected products

  • Apache CloudStack 4.14.0.0 through 4.20.3.0, 4.21.0.0 through 4.22.1.0

Timeline

  • 2026-08-21: disclosed
  • 2026: patched: Fixed in versions 4.20.3.1, 4.22.1.1, and later

References

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