How severe is CVE-2021-20178?

CVE-2021-20178 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-20178 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (26th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-20178?

CVE-2021-20178 primarily affects Redhat Ansible. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-20178?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-20178 published?

CVE-2021-20178 was published on 2021-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-20178

CVE-2021-20178 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Ansible with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-532.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (26th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-532
Affected product: Redhat Ansible
Published: 2021-05-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A flaw was found in ansible module where credentials are disclosed in the console log by default and not protected by the security feature when using the bitbucket_pipeline_variable module. This flaw allows an attacker to steal bitbucket_pipeline credentials. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-20178?: A flaw was found in ansible module where credentials are disclosed in the console log by default and not protected by the security feature when using the bitbucket_pipeline_variable module. This flaw allows an attacker to steal bitbucket_pipeline credentials. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality.
How severe is CVE-2021-20178?: CVE-2021-20178 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-20178 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (26th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-20178?: CVE-2021-20178 primarily affects Redhat Ansible. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-20178?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-20178 published?: CVE-2021-20178 was published on 2021-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:ansible_tower:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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