# CVE-2026-9494: ubuntu-pro-client Information Disclosure via Cleartext Bearer Token Exposure in Process Command Line

> Local attackers can read Ubuntu Pro bearer tokens from process command lines, enabling unauthorized access to ESM repositories.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4m5m-x42p-vrwg, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-9494

## What is CVE-2026-9494?

CVE-2026-9494 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, published on 16 Jul 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Canonical ubuntu-pro-client (formerly ubuntu-advantage-tools). The client validates Ubuntu Pro APT credentials by executing /usr/lib/apt/apt-helper using the download-file command. During this process, the secret bearer token is embedded directly in
the cleartext URL component passed via the command-line arguments (argv), resulting in a URL format such as https://bearer:<token>@esm.ubuntu.com/.../. On systems utilizing a default-mounted /proc file system where process-hiding mitigations (such as hidepid) are disabled, an unprivileged local attacker can
monitor system processes and read the sensitive bearer token directly from /proc/cmdline while the helper process is actively running. This leaked token can subsequently be used to gain unauthorized access to the victim's Ubuntu Pro or Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) repositories.

Weakness: CWE-214 (Invocation of Process Using Visible Sensitive Information)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-9494?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-9494?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-9494 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-9494 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-9494 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-9494 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, published on 16 Jul 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-9494 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2026-9494/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-9494/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-9494
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-9494
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-9494

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-9494/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.