CVE-2026-44187 in Ansible Automation Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 07/22/2026
A flaw was found in the Ansible Lightspeed extension for Visual Studio Code. This vulnerability allows an attacker with local access to the workstation, or malware running with the user's privileges, to read the Google Gemini API key. The extension insecurely stores the API key in plain text within the user's configuration file and writes it to output log files. This information disclosure can lead to the attacker obtaining the API credential and potentially consuming the user's API quota.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2026
This vulnerability resides within the Ansible Lightspeed extension for Visual Studio Code, representing a critical security flaw that stems from improper handling of sensitive authentication credentials. The issue manifests through insecure storage practices that violate fundamental security principles for credential management. When users configure their Google Gemini API keys within the extension, the system fails to implement proper encryption or obfuscation mechanisms, instead storing these credentials in plaintext format within user configuration files. This design decision creates a significant attack surface that directly conflicts with industry best practices for protecting sensitive information.
The technical implementation flaw allows for information disclosure through multiple vectors that compound the security risk. The extension not only stores API keys in plain text configuration files but also writes these credentials to output log files during operation, creating additional exposure points. This dual storage approach significantly increases the likelihood of credential compromise, as attackers can access credentials through either file location. The vulnerability essentially creates a persistent exposure window where authentication tokens remain accessible to any entity with local system access or user-level privileges, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft to include potential financial and service disruption consequences. An attacker who gains access to the stored API key can consume the user's quota of Google Gemini services, leading to unexpected billing charges or service limitations for the victim. The unauthorized consumption of API resources can also result in rate limiting or account suspension issues, affecting legitimate users' ability to access their own services. This credential exposure creates a persistent threat that remains active until the system is manually patched or the extension is uninstalled.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a clear violation of established security frameworks including CWE-312 (Sensitive Data Exposure) and CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials). The flaw directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1552.001 (Unsecured Credentials) and demonstrates poor implementation of the principle of least privilege. Organizations using this extension should immediately implement mitigation strategies including manual removal of stored credentials, verification of system integrity, and consideration of alternative API management approaches that do not rely on local credential storage. The incident highlights the importance of secure configuration management practices and proper credential handling in development tooling environments where sensitive information may be inadvertently exposed through insecure application design patterns.