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CVE-2026-16445

Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.

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.

Severity
HIGH
CVSS score
7.5 (v3.1)
Vulnerability status
Awaiting Analysis
Source identifier
[email protected]
Published
2026-07-21 13:17:16.730000
Last modified
2026-10-27 22:17:26.417000
View original CVE JSON 
{
  "id": "CVE-2026-16445",
  "sourceIdentifier": "[email protected]",
  "published": "2026-07-21T13:17:16.730",
  "lastModified": "2026-10-27T22:17:26.417",
  "vulnStatus": "Awaiting Analysis",
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "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."
    }
  ],
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10",
              "lessThan": "*",
              "versionType": "rpm",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_aus:8.4::baseos",
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_eus_long_life:8.4::baseos"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "0:049-138.git20220131.el8_4.1",
              "lessThan": "*",
              "versionType": "rpm",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Extended Update Support Long-Life Add-On",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_aus:8.4::baseos",
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_eus_long_life:8.4::baseos"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "0:049-138.git20220131.el8_4.1",
              "lessThan": "*",
              "versionType": "rpm",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_aus:8.6::baseos",
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_eus_long_life:8.6::baseos"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "0:049-203.git20220511.el8_6.1",
              "lessThan": "*",
              "versionType": "rpm",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support Long-Life Add-On",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_aus:8.6::baseos",
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_eus_long_life:8.6::baseos"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "0:049-203.git20220511.el8_6.1",
              "lessThan": "*",
              "versionType": "rpm",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Telecommunications Update Service",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.8::baseos",
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_tus:8.8::baseos"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "0:049-223.git20230119.el8_8.1",
              "lessThan": "*",
              "versionType": "rpm",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Update Services for SAP Solutions",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.8::baseos",
            "cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_tus:8.8::baseos"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "0:049-223.git20230119.el8_8.1",
              "lessThan": "*",
              "versionType": "rpm",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.12",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "rhcos",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.12::el8"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "412.86.202610250235-0",
              "lessThan": "*",
              "versionType": "rpm",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Hardened Images",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "collectionURL": "https://catalog.redhat.com/software/containers/",
          "packageName": "dracut-main",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/a:redhat:hummingbird:1"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "109-7.hum1",
              "lessThan": "*",
              "versionType": "rpm",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10"
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6"
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7"
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Red Hat",
          "product": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "collectionURL": "https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/",
          "packageName": "dracut",
          "cpes": [
            "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9"
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "source": "[email protected]",
        "type": "Secondary",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "3.1",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
          "baseScore": 7.5,
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "attackVector": "ADJACENT_NETWORK",
          "attackComplexity": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
          "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "exploitabilityScore": 1.6,
        "impactScore": 5.9
      }
    ],
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "timestamp": "2026-07-22T17:58:44.376796Z",
          "id": "CVE-2026-16445",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "none"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "no"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "total"
            }
          ],
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "version": "2.0.3"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "type": "Secondary",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-78"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:26534",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:40700",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:61252",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:69118",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:69119",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:90272",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-16445",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2459963",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2503147",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/dracutdevs/dracut/commit/e509c638e6",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    }
  ]
}