How severe is CVE-2026-55997?

CVE-2026-55997 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-55997 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (1st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-55997?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2026-55997 published?

CVE-2026-55997 was published on 2026-08-05 and last updated on 2026-08-06.

CVE-2026-55997

CVE-2026-55997 is a high-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-312.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (1st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-312
Published: 2026-08-05
Last modified: 2026-08-06

Description

Rancher issues long-lived registration tokens to authenticate nodes and agents joining a downstream cluster. These tokens were stored and exposed in plaintext with no expiration, so a malicious user could obtain one either through the Rancher API, etcd, stored automation, or direct file access on a node, and could use it at any time to register a rogue node into the cluster.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-55997?: Rancher issues long-lived registration tokens to authenticate nodes and agents joining a downstream cluster. These tokens were stored and exposed in plaintext with no expiration, so a malicious user could obtain one either through the Rancher API, etcd, stored automation, or direct file access on a node, and could use it at any time to register a rogue node into the cluster.
How severe is CVE-2026-55997?: CVE-2026-55997 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-55997 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (1st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-55997?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2026-55997 published?: CVE-2026-55997 was published on 2026-08-05 and last updated on 2026-08-06.

References

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