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AnsibleApplication · Redhat

CVE-2021-20191

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-05-26
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.2.2 / 1.3.2 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A flaw was found in ansible. Credentials, such as secrets, are being disclosed in console log by default and not protected by no_log feature when using those modules. An attacker can take advantage of this information to steal those credentials. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality. Versions before ansible 2.9.18 are affected.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In Ansible versions before 2.9.18, the no_log feature designed to suppress sensitive output in logs does not properly protect credentials when using certain modules. This causes credentials and secrets to be disclosed in console output, allowing attackers with log access to steal those credentials.

MitigationUpgrade Ansible to version 2.9.18 or later, and audit existing logs and playbooks for any credentials that may have been exposed.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
AnsibleApplication
Affected:< 2.8.19>= 2.9.0, < 2.9.18>= 2.10.0, < 2.10.7
Ansible TowerApplication
Affected:= 3.0
Cisco Nx Os CollectionApplication
Affected:< 1.4.0
Community General CollectionApplication
Affected:< 1.3.6>= 2.0.0, < 2.0.1
Community Network CollectionApplication
Affected:< 1.3.2>= 2.0.0, < 2.0.1
Docker Community CollectionApplication
Affected:< 1.2.2
Google Cloud Platform Ansible CollectionApplication
Affected:= 1.0.2
VirtualizationApplication
Affected:= 4.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed Ansible Engine version
    Run 'ansible --version' to see the installed version
    Affected if Version is less than 2.8.19, or between 2.9.0 and 2.9.17, or between 2.10.0 and 2.10.6
  2. Check Ansible Tower version
    Access Tower UI or run 'awx-manage --version' from the Tower host
    Affected if Version equals 3.0 specifically
  3. Check Ansible collection versions
    Run 'ansible-galaxy collection list' to list installed collections, then compare each against the vulnerable ranges provided
    Affected if Cisco Nx Os Collection is below 1.4.0, Community General Collection is below 1.3.6 or between 2.0.0 and 2.0.0, Community Network Collection is below 1.3.2 or between 2.0.0 and 2.0.0, Docker Community Collection is below 1.2.2, or Google Cloud Platform Collection equals 1.0.2
  4. Check for Oracle Virtualization version
    Verify the Oracle Virtualization Manager version in use
    Affected if Version equals 4.0 exactly
  5. Review playbooks for no_log implementation
    Search playbooks for tasks that handle sensitive data (passwords, API keys, tokens) and verify whether the no_log: yes directive is present on those tasks
    Affected if Sensitive tasks lack the no_log directive and the Ansible version falls within the vulnerable ranges
  6. Audit console and log output for credential exposure
    Search historical stdout logs, job output, or system logs for plaintext credentials that may have been output during playbook runs
    Affected if Plaintext credentials are found in logs or console output and Ansible version is vulnerable

You are affected if your installed Ansible Engine version, Ansible Tower version, or any affected collection version matches the vulnerable ranges AND you have run playbooks with sensitive data that lack proper no_log protection.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.2.2 / 1.3.2 / 1.3.6 or later
Fixed in 1.2.21.3.21.3.6
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Ansible to version 2.9.18 or later, and audit existing logs and playbooks for any credentials that may have been exposed.

Fix this in Ansible Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,770
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,832.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-20191 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data