CVE-2026-24845: Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent Malcontent OCI Image Pull Credential Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9m43-p3cx-w8j5
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-522
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-24845 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) malcontent oci image pull credential vulnerability (CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials) affecting Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves malcontent oci image pull credential exfiltration via malicious registry token realm. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.20.3.

CVE-2026-24845 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-24845
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9m43-p3cx-w8j5
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials
Affected Product Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-24845

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent fixed: 1.20.3 
Upgrade github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent to 1.20.3
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-24845, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent:

inspect dependencies for github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.20.3), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials, where the product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval. In Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Malcontent could be made to expose Docker registry credentials if it scanned a specially crafted OCI image reference. Malcontent uses [google/go-containerregistry](https://github.com/google/go-containerregistry) for OCI image pulls, which by default uses the Docker credential keychain. A malicious registry could return a `WWW-Authenticate` header redirecting token authentication to an attacker-controlled endpoint, causing credentials to be sent to that endpoint. **Fix:** [Default to anonymous auth for OCI pulls](https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/commit/538ed00cdc639d687a4bd1e843a2be0428a3b3e7) **Acknowledgements** Thank you to Oleh Konko from [1seal](https://1seal.org/) for discovering and reporting this issue.

CVE-2026-24845 Affected Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.20.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent
golang/github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent
Go
≥ 0.10.0
< 1.20.3
1.20.3

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/security/advisories/GHSA-9m43-p3cx-w8j5
NVD — CVE-2026-24845 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-24845
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/commit/538ed00cdc639d687a4bd1e843a2be0428a3b3e7
Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-24845?
CVE-2026-24845 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent involving malcontent OCI image pull credential exfiltration via malicious registry token realm under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials.
Which Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.20.3 across affected packages: github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent.
What version fixes CVE-2026-24845?
Upgrading to 1.20.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent affected?
Yes, github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent is affected in releases prior to 1.20.3. Upgrade your dependency to 1.20.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-24845?
CVE-2026-24845 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-24845?
CVE-2026-24845 is classified under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials (The product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-24845?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9m43-p3cx-w8j5",
  "modified" : "2026-01-31T03:33:30Z",
  "published" : "2026-01-29T22:04:24Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-24845" ],
  "summary" : "malcontent OCI image pull credential exfiltration via malicious registry token realm",
  "details" : "Malcontent could be made to expose Docker registry credentials if it scanned a specially crafted OCI image reference. Malcontent uses [google/go-containerregistry](https://github.com/google/go-containerregistry) for OCI image pulls, which by default uses the Docker credential keychain. A malicious registry could return a `WWW-Authenticate` header redirecting token authentication to an attacker-controlled endpoint, causing credentials to be sent to that endpoint.\n\n**Fix:** [Default to anonymous auth for OCI pulls](https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/commit/538ed00cdc639d687a4bd1e843a2be0428a3b3e7)\n\n**Acknowledgements**\n\nThank you to Oleh Konko from [1seal](https://1seal.org/) for discovering and reporting this issue.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0.10.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.20.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/security/advisories/GHSA-9m43-p3cx-w8j5"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-24845"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/commit/538ed00cdc639d687a4bd1e843a2be0428a3b3e7"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-522" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-01-29T22:04:24Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-01-29T22:15:54Z"
  }
}