CVE-2026-9494
ubuntu-pro-client Information Disclosure via Cleartext Bearer Token Exposure in Process Command Line
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.
INFO
Published Date :
July 16, 2026, 1:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
July 16, 2026, 1:51 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-9494
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | cc1ad9ee-3454-478d-9317-d3e869d708bc | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update the ubuntu-pro-client package.
- Ensure the /proc filesystem is mounted with hidepid.
- Monitor system processes for sensitive information.
- Validate APT credential handling.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-9494.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-9494 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-9494 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-9494
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-9494 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-9494 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Jul. 16, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-pro-client', 'vendor': 'Canonical', 'product': 'ubuntu-pro-client (ubuntu-advantage-tools)', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '37.3', 'versionType': 'python'}], 'platforms': ['Linux'], 'packageName': 'ubuntu-pro-client', 'collectionURL': 'https://github.com/canonical/', 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'vendor': 'Canonical', 'product': 'Ubuntu 26.04 LTS', 'versions': [{'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '37.2ubuntu0.1', 'versionType': 'dpkg'}], 'platforms': ['Linux'], 'packageName': 'ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'collectionURL': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/resolute', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'repo': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'vendor': 'Canonical', 'product': 'Ubuntu 24.04 LTS', 'versions': [{'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '37.2ubuntu~24.04.1', 'versionType': 'dpkg'}], 'platforms': ['Linux'], 'packageName': 'ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'collectionURL': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/noble', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'repo': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'vendor': 'Canonical', 'product': 'Ubuntu 22.04 LTS', 'versions': [{'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '37.2ubuntu~22.04.1', 'versionType': 'dpkg'}], 'platforms': ['Linux'], 'packageName': 'ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'collectionURL': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/jammy', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'repo': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'vendor': 'Canonical', 'product': 'Ubuntu 20.04 LTS', 'versions': [{'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '37.1ubuntu0~20.04.1', 'versionType': 'dpkg'}], 'platforms': ['Linux'], 'packageName': 'ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'collectionURL': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/focal', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'repo': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'vendor': 'Canonical', 'product': 'Ubuntu 18.04 LTS', 'versions': [{'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '37.1ubuntu0~18.04.1', 'versionType': 'dpkg'}], 'platforms': ['Linux'], 'packageName': 'ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'collectionURL': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/bionic', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'repo': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'vendor': 'Canonical', 'product': 'Ubuntu 16.04 LTS', 'versions': [{'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '37.1ubuntu0~16.04.1', 'versionType': 'dpkg'}], 'platforms': ['Linux'], 'packageName': 'ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'collectionURL': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/xenial', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}, {'repo': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'vendor': 'Canonical', 'product': 'Ubuntu 14.04 LTS', 'versions': [{'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '19.7ubuntu0.1', 'versionType': 'dpkg'}], 'platforms': ['Linux'], 'packageName': 'ubuntu-advantage-tools', 'collectionURL': 'https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/trusty', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] Added 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. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Added CWE CWE-214 Added Reference https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-9494