CVE-2026-86836

Eclipse Ankaios versions 0.1.0 through 1.0.2 create workload files and Control Interface named pipes (FIFOs) at a predictable path derived from the agent name and a hash of the workload's runtime configuration, by default under $TMPDIR/ankaios (often shared /tmp). On agent startup or restart, an already-existing directory or FIFO is reused based only on an existence and/or file-type check, with no validation of owner or permissions. A local unprivileged attacker with write access to the same base directory can pre-create the path hierarchy, including the two Control Interface FIFOs, before the agent starts, causing the agent to treat attacker-owned FIFOs as the legitimate Control Interface. The attacker can then complete the handshake and issue requests with the targeted workload's configured controlInterfaceAccess permissions, impersonating the workload and potentially reading or modifying the cluster's desired state. No public proof of concept exists, the flaw is not in the CISA KEV catalog, and no exploitation has been reported.

What to do: Upgrade past 1.0.2 as soon as the maintainers release a fixed version, and check the Eclipse Ankaios security advisories for the patched release. In the meantime, set the agents' TMPDIR (or equivalent runtime base directory) to a dedicated directory owned by the Ankaios agent user with restrictive permissions (e.g., 0700 under /run) rather than a shared /tmp, and remove any pre-existing files or FIFOs under the old runtime directory before agent startup. Also minimize local unprivileged accounts on hosts running Ankaios agents and review each workload's controlInterfaceAccess grants to limit the blast radius of impersonation.