Ceph RGW SigV4 handler accepts unsigned x-amz-* headers on presigned requests, allowing privilege escalation
Published Aug 27, 2026 · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Original summary
Normalized public record · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Ceph RGW SigV4 handler accepts unsigned x-amz-* headers on presigned requests, allowing privilege escalation
Publisher and source text is retained separately from QFinch interpretation.
QFinch assessment
Ceph is an open-source distributed storage platform providing object, block, and file storage. In versions prior to 20.2.4 and 19.2.6, the Ceph Object Gateway (RGW) SigV4 handler does not reject requests that carry x-amz-* headers absent from the signed header set, allowing anyone holding a presigned URL to attach arbitrary unsigned x-amz-* headers that RGW will honor. AWS S3 requires every x-amz-* header on a SigV4 request to be signed and rejects requests bearing additional unsigned headers, but RGW validates only the headers listed in X-Amz-SignedHeaders and ignores any extra ones, so they take effect without being covered by the signature. By adding such headers to a presigned PUT URL, an attacker can grant themselves more capabilities than the URL's signer intended and escalate their privileges. This issue is fixed in versions 20.2.4 and 19.2.6.
Evidence: public source recordsAffected products
| Affected package, product or range | Fix status |
|---|---|
| Consult the referenced vendor advisory for affected versions. | Consult source advisory |
Matching a version is only one part of assessing exposure. QFinch has not assessed your environment on this public page.
Remediation
Apply the vendor-supported fixed release or mitigation, then verify the affected component is no longer reachable.
- Confirm the affected product and reachable code path exist in your environment.
- Apply the vendor-supported patch or mitigation from the primary advisory.
- Rescan the exact deployed revision and retain verification evidence.
Evidence coverage
- SSVC priority
- MEDIUM
- Confidence
- Not available
- Aliases
- None reported
Scores appear only when corresponding evidence exists. Missing data is never interpreted as zero risk.
Sources and record history
Record history
Published Aug 27, 2026 · Last refreshed Nov 3, 2026