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NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

CVE-2026-16445: Dracut: dracut: root code execution via dhcp options command injection in networkmanager initrd module

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 3.2% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 88.2% of all records.
  • Someone on the same network segment can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • Fixed version: dracut (Debian:14) 112-1; dracut (openSUSE:Leap 16.0) 059+suse.730.g73d3411aa-160000.1.1; dracut (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 112+suse.47.gec0b378-1.1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to dracut (Debian:14) 112-1; dracut (openSUSE:Leap 16.0) 059+suse.730.g73d3411aa-160000.1.1; dracut (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 112+suse.47.gec0b378-1.1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

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.

HighCVSS 7.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 21, 2026
Updated
Nov 4, 2026
EPSS
3.2% · 88th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

31

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
30 / 40 · 7.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 3.2%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · redhat
7.5
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2026-16445

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

—

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (redhat). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10

    • all versionsunknown

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6

    • all versionsunknown

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

    • all versionsunknown

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

    • 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 and laternot affected · rpm

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support

    • 0:049-138.git20220131.el8_4.1 and laternot affected · rpm

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Extended Update Support Long-Life Add-On

    • 0:049-138.git20220131.el8_4.1 and laternot affected · rpm

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support

    • 0:049-203.git20220511.el8_6.1 and laternot affected · rpm

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support Long-Life Add-On

    • 0:049-203.git20220511.el8_6.1 and laternot affected · rpm

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Telecommunications Update Service

    • 0:049-223.git20230119.el8_8.1 and laternot affected · rpm

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Update Services for SAP Solutions

    • 0:049-223.git20230119.el8_8.1 and laternot affected · rpm

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

    • all versionsunknown

  • Red Hat Red Hat Hardened Images

    • 109-7.hum1 and laternot affected · rpm

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12dracutfrom 0—
Debian:14dracutbefore 112-1112-1
openSUSE:Leap 16.0dracutbefore 059+suse.730.g73d3411aa-160000.1.1059+suse.730.g73d3411aa-160000.1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweeddracutbefore 112+suse.47.gec0b378-1.1112+suse.47.gec0b378-1.1
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracutbefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracut-capsbefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracut-config-genericbefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracut-config-rescuebefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracut-debuginfobefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracut-debugsourcebefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracut-livebefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracut-networkbefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracut-squashbefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosdracut-toolsbefore 0:049-244.git20260529.el8_100:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
Red Hat:hummingbird:1dracutbefore 0:109-7.hum10:109-7.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1dracut-capsbefore 0:109-7.hum10:109-7.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1dracut-config-genericbefore 0:109-7.hum10:109-7.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1dracut-config-rescuebefore 0:109-7.hum10:109-7.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1dracut-livebefore 0:109-7.hum10:109-7.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1dracut-networkbefore 0:109-7.hum10:109-7.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1dracut-squashbefore 0:109-7.hum10:109-7.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1dracut-toolsbefore 0:109-7.hum10:109-7.hum1
Red Hat:rhel_aus:8.4::baseosdracutbefore 0:049-138.git20220131.el8_4.10:049-138.git20220131.el8_4.1
Red Hat:rhel_aus:8.4::baseosdracut-capsbefore 0:049-138.git20220131.el8_4.10:049-138.git20220131.el8_4.1

+27

Same product

red hat: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2024-3019Pcp: exposure of the redis server backend allows remote command execution via pmproxy
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2024-11218Podman: buildah: container breakout by using --jobs=2 and a race condition when building a malicious containerfile
    34Monitor
  • CVE-2024-1753Buildah: buildah: container escape via improper bind mount validation
    34Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-4953Sep 16, 2025 · Podman: build context bind mount
    29Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-10805Jun 4, 2026 · Networkmanager: networkmanager: local privilege escalation via malformed mud urls in dhclient backend
    26Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-74859Sep 8, 2026 · Gnome-tweaks: path traversal in theme installer
    27Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:dracut112-1 · Debian:14Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:dracut112+suse.47.gec0b378-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut-caps0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut-config-generic0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut-config-rescue0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut-debuginfo0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut-debugsource0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut-live0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut-network0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut-squash0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:dracut-tools0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
suse:dracut059+suse.615.g018c5a4-1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2026-1080547 days apartNetworkmanager: networkmanager: local privilege escalation via malformed mud urls in dhclient backend
    26Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone on the same network segment can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Adjacent
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-78 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary

Root cause

User input is inserted as text into a shell command. The shell may interpret special characters in the input as part of the command.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-78 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

ts
const host = req.body.host;exec("ping -c 1 " + host, onResult);

Fixed

ts
const host = req.body.host;if (!/^[a-z0-9.-]{1,253}$/i.test(host)) return res.sendStatus(400);execFile("ping", ["-c", "1", host], onResult);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (9 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records