An authenticated user who can create a namespace may retrieve another tenant's robot account tokens through a SQL LIKE wildcard collision.Red Hat rates the issue Critical at CVSS 3.1 9.9. A stolen robot token could let the attacker read, push, or overwrite container images within the victim tenant's permissions.
What it allows
How Does CVE-2026-110697 Cross the Quay Tenant Boundary?
Red Hat says Quay builds a SQL LIKE pattern from a user-controlled namespace name without escaping wildcard characters. A namespace containing an underscore can match another tenant's namespace because SQL LIKE treats the underscore as a single-character wildcard.
The attacker first needs an authenticated account able to create a namespace. Red Hat says no elevated privileges or victim interaction are needed after that precondition is met.
The resulting listing may return another tenant's robot accounts and decrypted authentication tokens. Those credentials may permit image reads, pushes, or overwrites according to the robot account's access.
What Is Known About Exploitation?
CISA KEV catalog version 2026.11.10 did not list CVE-2026-110697. That dated catalog status does not establish whether the flaw has been used outside the catalog.
Red Hat describes an attack path and potential impact, not a confirmed incident. We therefore record exploitation as unknown rather than treating the 9.9 score as evidence of observed activity.
Who is affected
Which Red Hat Quay Releases Need Attention?
Red Hat names fixed releases 3.9.28, 3.10.28, 3.12.24, 3.14.10, 3.15.9, 3.16.7, 3.17.7, and 3.18.3. Compare each deployed Quay branch with its corresponding fixed release before scheduling the update.
Red Hat says Quay.io has already been fixed. Its advisory does not give one universal affected-version range for every deployment, so confirm your branch against the vendor's release guidance.
Why Is This a Supply Chain Risk?
Robot accounts commonly automate registry access. Red Hat says a stolen token could permit image reads, pushes, or overwrites, creating a path from credential exposure to unauthorized image operations.
Red Hat warns that an integrated OpenShift registry could feed affected images into CI/CD pipelines. Brandefense Blackhole counted two Telegram dark-chat posts mentioning this CVE from August 13 to November 11, 2026.
Those two posts show discussion, not exploitation. Our assessment is that shared registries deserve priority because the flaw crosses tenant boundaries and may expose automation credentials.
What Should Defenders Do?
Update each affected Quay branch to the matching fixed release named by Red Hat. Its advisory says there is no other complete workaround, so temporary restrictions should not replace the update.
If updating must wait, Red Hat advises restricting creation of organizations or namespaces containing underscores. It also advises rotating robot tokens for colliding namespaces and monitoring unusual pulls or pushes.
As a Brandefense precaution, inventory shared registries and review robot token permissions after rotation. The vulnerability management guide helps organize rollout, while the patch management glossary covers verification. The supply chain attack glossary explains downstream image risk.
Timeline
- 2026-11-10
CISA KEV catalog version 2026.11.10 did not list this CVE.
- 2026-11-11
NVD published the Red Hat CNA record for CVE-2026-110697.
What to do
-
Inventory shared Quay registries
Identify deployments where multiple teams or tenants share a registry. Record the Quay branch and installed release for each deployment.
-
Apply the matching fixed release
Update to Red Hat's fixed release for each branch: 3.9.28, 3.10.28, 3.12.24, 3.14.10, 3.15.9, 3.16.7, 3.17.7, or 3.18.3.
-
Reduce exposure while updating
Follow Red Hat's advice to restrict colliding namespace creation, rotate relevant robot tokens, and monitor unexpected image pulls or pushes.
What Brandefense can do
- Scan your domain in Brandefense Atlas, free
Atlas checks public sources for leaked credentials, phishing domains, dark web mentions and data sales, then gives your domain a risk grade. Free, no sign-up.
- Vulnerability intelligence platform
Brandefense Vulnerability Intelligence follows which vulnerabilities attackers are using, so your team can patch what is under attack first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-110697?
It is a Red Hat Quay robot account listing flaw. A namespace wildcard collision may expose another tenant's robot account tokens to an authenticated attacker.
Does the attacker need an account?
Yes. Red Hat says the attacker must be authenticated and able to create a namespace. Its CVSS vector marks privileges required low and user interaction none.
Which Red Hat Quay releases contain the fix?
Red Hat lists 3.9.28, 3.10.28, 3.12.24, 3.14.10, 3.15.9, 3.16.7, 3.17.7, and 3.18.3. Quay.io is already fixed.
Can token rotation replace the Quay update?
No. Red Hat calls the release update the complete fix. Token rotation and namespace restrictions only reduce exposure while an update is pending.
Is CVE-2026-110697 in CISA KEV?
CISA KEV catalog version 2026.11.10 did not list this CVE. That is a dated catalog status, not a finding about every deployment.
Sources
- CVE-2026-110697Red Hat
- CVE-2026-110697 DetailNational Vulnerability Database
- Known Exploited Vulnerabilities CatalogCybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
