CVE-2026-33540

Distribution affected by pull-through cache credential exfiltration via www-authenticate bearer realm

Published Apr 6, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7.5 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
Distribution is a toolkit to pack, ship, store, and deliver container content. Prior to 3.1.0, in pull-through cache mode, distribution discovers token auth endpoints by parsing WWW-Authenticate challenges returned by the configured upstream registry. The realm URL from a bearer challenge is used without validating that it matches the upstream registry host. As a result, an attacker-controlled upstream (or an attacker with MitM position to the upstream) can cause distribution to send the configured upstream credentials via basic auth to an attacker-controlled realm URL. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.1.0.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-3p65-76g6-3w7r Distribution affected by pull-through cache credential exfiltration via www-authenticate bearer realm
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Distribution Project
Distribution Project distribution
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:distribution_project:distribution:*:*:*:*:*:go:*:*
Vendors & Products Distribution Project
Distribution Project distribution
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Distribution
Distribution distribution
Vendors & Products Distribution
Distribution distribution
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Distribution is a toolkit to pack, ship, store, and deliver container content. Prior to 3.1.0, in pull-through cache mode, distribution discovers token auth endpoints by parsing WWW-Authenticate challenges returned by the configured upstream registry. The realm URL from a bearer challenge is used without validating that it matches the upstream registry host. As a result, an attacker-controlled upstream (or an attacker with MitM position to the upstream) can cause distribution to send the configured upstream credentials via basic auth to an attacker-controlled realm URL. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.1.0.
Title Distribution affected by pull-through cache credential exfiltration via www-authenticate bearer realm
Weaknesses CWE-918
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'}

ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
Apr 6, 2026, 3:04 PM
Reserved
Mar 20, 2026, 6:05 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Apr 6, 2026, 3:17 PM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 10:37 AM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Apr 6, 2026, 2:55 PM