CVE-2026-26189: Aquasecurity/trivy action Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9p44-j4g5-cfx5
CVSS 5.9
CWE-78
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-26189 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')) affecting Aquasecurity/trivy action libraries in the GitHub Actions ecosystem. The issue involves trivy action has a script injection via sourced env file in composite action. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.34.0.

CVE-2026-26189 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-26189
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9p44-j4g5-cfx5
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Affected Product Aquasecurity/trivy action
Package Ecosystem GitHub Actions
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.9

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-26189

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

aquasecurity/trivy-action fixed: 0.34.0
Upgrade aquasecurity/trivy-action to 0.34.0
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 aquasecurity/trivy-action

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-26189, inspect your project dependencies for Aquasecurity/trivy action:

inspect dependencies for aquasecurity/trivy-action

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Aquasecurity/trivy action in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.34.0), 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-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component. In Aquasecurity/trivy action, 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

Command Injection in aquasecurity/trivy-action via Unsanitized Environment Variable Export A command injection vulnerability exists in `aquasecurity/trivy-action` due to improper handling of action inputs when exporting environment variables. The action writes `export VAR=<input>` lines to `trivy_envs.txt` based on user-supplied inputs and subsequently sources this file in `entrypoint.sh`. Because input values are written without appropriate shell escaping, attacker-controlled input containing shell metacharacters (e.g., `$(...)`, backticks, or other command substitution syntax) may be evaluated during the sourcing process. This can result in arbitrary command execution within the GitHub Actions runner context. **Severity:** Moderate CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command (‘OS Command Injection’) **Impact:** Successful exploitation may lead to arbitrary command execution in the CI runner environment. **Affected Versions:** * Versions >= 0.31.0 and <= 0.33.1 * Introduced in commit `7aca5ac` **Affected Conditions:** The vulnerability is exploitable when a consuming workflow passes attacker-controlled data into any action input that is written to `trivy_envs.txt`. Access to user input is required by the malicious actor. A representative exploitation pattern involves incorporating untrusted pull request metadata into an action parameter. For example: ```yaml - uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@0.33.1 with: output: "trivy-${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}.sarif" ``` If the pull request title contains shell syntax, it may be executed when the generated environment file is sourced. **Not Affected:** * Workflows that do not pass attacker-controlled data into `trivy-action` inputs * Workflows that upgrade to a patched version that properly escapes shell values or eliminates the `source ./trivy_envs.txt` pattern * Workflows where user input is not accessible. **Call Sites:** * `action.yaml:188` — `set_env_var_if_provided` writes unescaped `export` lines * `entrypoint.sh:9` — sources `./trivy_envs.txt`

CVE-2026-26189 Affected Aquasecurity/trivy action Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.34.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
aquasecurity/trivy-action
GitHub Actions
≥ 0.31.0
< 0.34.0
0.34.0

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-26189?
CVE-2026-26189 is a security vulnerability in Aquasecurity/trivy action involving Trivy Action has a script injection via sourced env file in composite action under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection').
Which Aquasecurity/trivy action versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.34.0 across affected packages: aquasecurity/trivy-action.
What version fixes CVE-2026-26189?
Upgrading to 0.34.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is aquasecurity/trivy-action affected?
Yes, aquasecurity/trivy-action is affected in releases prior to 0.34.0. Upgrade your dependency to 0.34.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-26189?
CVE-2026-26189 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-26189?
CVE-2026-26189 is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check GitHub Actions dependencies for CVE-2026-26189?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for aquasecurity/trivy-action'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9p44-j4g5-cfx5",
  "modified" : "2026-02-19T21:56:21Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-18T15:24:43Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-26189" ],
  "summary" : "Trivy Action has a script injection via sourced env file in composite action",
  "details" : "Command Injection in aquasecurity/trivy-action via Unsanitized Environment Variable Export\n\n\nA command injection vulnerability exists in `aquasecurity/trivy-action` due to improper handling of action inputs when exporting environment variables. The action writes `export VAR=<input>` lines to `trivy_envs.txt` based on user-supplied inputs and subsequently sources this file in `entrypoint.sh`.\n\nBecause input values are written without appropriate shell escaping, attacker-controlled input containing shell metacharacters (e.g., `$(...)`, backticks, or other command substitution syntax) may be evaluated during the sourcing process. This can result in arbitrary command execution within the GitHub Actions runner context.\n\n**Severity:**\n\nModerate\n\nCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N\n\nCWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command (‘OS Command Injection’)\n\n**Impact:**\n\nSuccessful exploitation may lead to arbitrary command execution in the CI runner environment.\n\n\n**Affected Versions:**\n\n* Versions >= 0.31.0 and <= 0.33.1\n* Introduced in commit `7aca5ac`\n\n**Affected Conditions:**\n\nThe vulnerability is exploitable when a consuming workflow passes attacker-controlled data into any action input that is written to `trivy_envs.txt`. Access to user input is required by the malicious actor.\n\nA representative exploitation pattern involves incorporating untrusted pull request metadata into an action parameter. For example:\n\n```yaml\n- uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@0.33.1\n  with:\n    output: \"trivy-${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}.sarif\"\n```\n\nIf the pull request title contains shell syntax, it may be executed when the generated environment file is sourced.\n\n**Not Affected:**\n\n* Workflows that do not pass attacker-controlled data into `trivy-action` inputs\n* Workflows that upgrade to a patched version that properly escapes shell values or eliminates the `source ./trivy_envs.txt` pattern\n* Workflows where user input is not accessible.\n\n**Call Sites:**\n\n* `action.yaml:188` — `set_env_var_if_provided` writes unescaped `export` lines\n* `entrypoint.sh:9` — sources `./trivy_envs.txt`",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "GitHub Actions",
      "name" : "aquasecurity/trivy-action"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0.31.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.34.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/aquasecurity/trivy-action/security/advisories/GHSA-9p44-j4g5-cfx5"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-26189"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/aquasecurity/trivy-action/commit/7aca5acc9500b463826cc47a47a65ad7d404b045"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/aquasecurity/trivy-action/commit/bc61dc55704e2d5704760f3cdab0d09acf16e4ca"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/aquasecurity/trivy-action"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-18T15:24:43Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-02-19T20:25:42Z"
  }
}