Tag deletion via unchecked manifest API path
Published May 14, 2026 · Updated May 14, 2026
Authorization bypass in CNCF Distribution before 3.1.1 allows remote attackers to delete registry tags through the manifest API. DeleteManifest handles tag references separately, calls tagService.Untag(), and returns without checking registry.deleteEnabled; Untag deletes the tag path directly. Exploitation requires network access to a registry with storage deletion disabled and can interrupt tag-based pulls or remove trusted tag references.
Summary
What happened
Authorization bypass in CNCF Distribution before 3.1.1 allows remote attackers to delete registry tags through the manifest API. DeleteManifest handles tag references separately, calls tagService.Untag(), and returns without checking registry.deleteEnabled; Untag deletes the tag path directly. Exploitation requires network access to a registry with storage deletion disabled and can interrupt tag-based pulls or remove trusted tag references.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-41888
- Published
- May 14, 2026
- Updated
- May 14, 2026
- Vendor
- CNCF Distribution
- Product
- Distribution
- Classifications
- CWE-863, T1485
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 14, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 3.1.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- Upstream tag-deletion proof of conceptfunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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