# CVE-2026-24845: malcontent's OCI image scanning could expose registry credentials

> A malicious registry can expose Docker credentials by redirecting authentication, affecting users of the malcontent supply-chain scanner.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 29 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 29 Jan 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9m43-p3cx-w8j5, GO-2026-4392

## What is CVE-2026-24845?

CVE-2026-24845 is a medium-severity vulnerability in chainguard-dev malcontent, published on 29 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

malcontent discovers supply-chain compromises through. context, differential analysis, and YARA. Starting in version 0.10.0 and prior to version 1.20.3, malcontent could be made to expose Docker registry credentials if it scanned a specially crafted OCI image reference. malcontent uses google/go-containerregistry for OCI image pulls, which by default uses the Docker credential keychain. A malicious registry could return a `WWW-Authenticate` header redirecting token authentication to an attacker-controlled endpoint, causing credentials to be sent to that endpoint. Version 1.20.3 fixes the issue by defaulting to anonymous auth for OCI pulls.

Weakness: CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-24845?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent and github.com/chainguard-dev/bincapz. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent` | Go | All versions | 1.20.3 |
| `github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent` | Go | From 0.10.0 | 1.20.3 |
| `github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent` | Go | From 0.10.0 | 1.20.3 |
| `github.com/chainguard-dev/bincapz` | Go | From 0.10.0 | None |

Products: Chainguard Malcontent.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-24845?

Upgrade github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent to 1.20.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-24845 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-24845 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in chainguard-dev malcontent

- [CVE-2026-28407](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-28407/): malcontent's nested archive extraction failure can drop content from scan inputs (medium 6.9)
- [CVE-2026-24846](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24846/): malcontent's archive extraction could write outside extraction directory (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-24845 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-24845 is a medium-severity vulnerability in chainguard-dev malcontent, published on 29 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-24845 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.20.3
- github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent (Go): affected from 0.10.0; fixed in 1.20.3
- github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent (Go): affected from 0.10.0; fixed in 1.20.3
- github.com/chainguard-dev/bincapz (Go): affected from 0.10.0; no fix listed

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24845/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24845/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-24845
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-24845
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-24845

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24845/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.