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HIGH

CVE-2026-16445

CVSS v3

7.5

HIGH

EPSS Score

1.1 %

exploit probability, as of 2026-09-25

CISA KEV

No

known exploited

Exploitation

—

SSVC status

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 sys

Technical details

Published
2026-07-21
Last Modified
2026-07-22

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 sys

Is CVE-2026-16445 actively exploited?

Active exploitation of CVE-2026-16445 has not been confirmed. Its EPSS score was 1.1% on 2026-09-25, the estimated probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-16445?

CVE-2026-16445 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5 (HIGH severity).

Is CVE-2026-16445 affecting your environment?

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