Description
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Canonical ubuntu-pro-client (formerly ubuntu-advantage-tools). The client validates Ubuntu Pro APT credentials by executing /usr/lib/apt/apt-helper using the download-file command. During this process, the secret bearer token is embedded directly in
the cleartext URL component passed via the command-line arguments (argv), resulting in a URL format such as https://bearer:<token>@esm.ubuntu.com/.../. On systems utilizing a default-mounted /proc file system where process-hiding mitigations (such as hidepid) are disabled, an unprivileged local attacker can
monitor system processes and read the sensitive bearer token directly from /proc/cmdline while the helper process is actively running. This leaked token can subsequently be used to gain unauthorized access to the victim's Ubuntu Pro or Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) repositories.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canonical | ubuntu-pro-client (ubuntu-advantage-tools) | < 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Canonical | Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | — | 37.2ubuntu0.1 |
| Canonical | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | — | 37.2ubuntu~24.04.1 |
| Canonical | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | — | 37.2ubuntu~22.04.1 |
| Canonical | Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | — | 37.1ubuntu0~20.04.1 |
| Canonical | Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | — | 37.1ubuntu0~18.04.1 |
| Canonical | Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | — | 37.1ubuntu0~16.04.1 |
| Canonical | Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | — | 19.7ubuntu0.1 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | ubuntu-advantage-tools | 37.2ubuntu0.1 | USN-8555-1 |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | ubuntu-advantage-tools | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | ubuntu-advantage-tools | 37.2ubuntu~24.04.1 | USN-8555-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | ubuntu-advantage-tools | 37.2ubuntu~22.04.1 | USN-8555-1 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | ubuntu-advantage-tools | 37.1ubuntu0~20.04.1 | USN-8555-1 |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | ubuntu-advantage-tools | 37.1ubuntu0~18.04.1 | USN-8555-1 |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | ubuntu-advantage-tools | 37.1ubuntu0~16.04.1 | USN-8555-1 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | ubuntu-advantage-tools | 19.7ubuntu0.1 | USN-8555-1 |
Advisories 2
- WID-SEC-2026-2393 Ubuntu Linux (ubuntu-pro-client): Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Sep 1, 2026
- USN-8555-1 ubuntu-advantage-tools vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Jul 16, 2026