CVE-2026-9494
MEDIUMDescription
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.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 2% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-214 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2021-3859 | High | 7.5 | 1.3% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2019-3869 | High | 7.2 | 1.3% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2020-5422 | Medium | 6.5 | 0.9% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2020-1753 | Medium | 5.0 | 0.5% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2020-36771 | High | 7.8 | 0.5% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2024-4254 | High | 7.1 | 0.5% | - | - |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-9494?
Published advisories record a fix for 5 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2026-9494 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-9494 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.11% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 2% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-9494?
CVE-2026-9494 has a CVSS v3 base score of 5.5, rated medium. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2026-9494 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for ubuntu-advantage-pro (Ubuntu), ubuntu-advantage-tools (Ubuntu), ubuntu-pro-auto-attach (Ubuntu), ubuntu-pro-client (Ubuntu), and 1 more. Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-07-16.