CVE-2026-16445: Command Injection (CVSS 7.5)

Description

A flaw was found in dracut. A remote attacker on the adjacent network can exploit this vulnerability by providing specially crafted DHCP options, such as a malicious root-path, next-server, or bootfile name, to a system using dracut's NetworkManager-based initrd network module. These options are improperly handled and written into a temporary shell script without proper escaping, leading to command injection. This allows the attacker to achieve root code execution within the initramfs during system boot.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.5

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-78 OS Command Injection

References

Other References

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:26534 https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-16445 https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2459963 https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2503147 https://github.com/dracutdevs/dracut/commit/e509c638e6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-16445? +

A flaw was found in dracut. A remote attacker on the adjacent network can exploit this vulnerability by providing specially crafted DHCP options, such as a malicious root-path, next-server, or bootfile name, to a system using dracut's NetworkManager-based initrd network module. These options are improperly handled and written into a temporary shell script without proper escaping, leading to command injection. This allows the attacker to achieve root code execution within the initramfs during system boot. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-16445? +

CVE-2026-16445 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-16445? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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