# CVE-2026-44881: Portainer: Arbitrary File Read via Git Symlink Injection in Stack Auto-Update

> Authenticated users can read arbitrary files on the host by creating a Git-backed stack with a symlinked entry point.

- **Severity:** High 8.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 28 May 2026
- **Updated:** 29 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rpgq-m5fp-32wr, GO-2026-5633

## What is CVE-2026-44881?

CVE-2026-44881 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in portainer, published on 28 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official 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.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access), CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-44881?

7 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/portainer/portainer. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | All versions | None |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.33.0 | 2.33.8 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.33.0 | 2.33.8 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.39.0 | 2.39.2 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.39.0 | 2.39.2 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.40.0 | 2.41.0 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.40.0 | 2.41.0 |

Products: Portainer Portainer.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-44881?

Upgrade github.com/portainer/portainer to a fixed version for your release line: 2.33.8, 2.39.2 or 2.41.0.

## Is CVE-2026-44881 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-44881 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- https://github.com/0xdak/CVE-2026-44881_exploit (github_poc): https://github.com/0xdak/CVE-2026-44881_exploit

## Other vulnerabilities in portainer

- [CVE-2019-16872](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16872/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2022-24961](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24961/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-24264](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-24264/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-19466](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-19466/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-19367](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-19367/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-44881 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-44881 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in portainer, published on 28 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-44881 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected all versions; no fix listed
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.33.0; fixed in 2.33.8
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.33.0; fixed in 2.33.8
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.39.0; fixed in 2.39.2
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.39.0; fixed in 2.39.2
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.40.0; fixed in 2.41.0
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.40.0; fixed in 2.41.0

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-2026-44881/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44881/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44881
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44881
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-44881

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44881/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.