dracut initramfs cmd injection via unquoted DHCP ROOT_PATH
CVE-2026-15816 Published on August 7, 2026

Dracut: dracut: root code execution via unescaped error message written to sourced emergency hook script in die()
A flaw was found in dracut. The die() error-handling function writes its message into a shell script under the initramfs emergency-hook directory without properly shell-quoting it. When the message contains data derived from the DHCP ROOT_PATH option, an attacker on the adjacent network who controls a rogue DHCP server can inject a command-substitution sequence that executes as root the next time dracut sources its emergency hook scripts during standard boot-failure handling.

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Vulnerability Analysis

Attack Vector:
ADJACENT_NETWORK
Attack Complexity:
HIGH
Privileges Required:
NONE
User Interaction:
NONE
Scope:
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality Impact:
HIGH
Integrity Impact:
HIGH
Availability Impact:
HIGH

Timeline

Reported to Red Hat.

Made public. 56 days later.

Weakness Type

What is a Shell injection Vulnerability?

The software constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.

CVE-2026-15816 has been classified to as a Shell injection vulnerability or weakness.


Products Associated with CVE-2026-15816

You can be notified by email with stack.watch whenever vulnerabilities like CVE-2026-15816 are published in these products:

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
 
Red Hat Hummingbird
 
Red Hat Openshift
 
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Eus
 
Red Hat Rhel E4s
 
Red Hat Rhel Eus
 
Red Hat Rhel Tus
 
Red Hat Rhel Els
 
Canonical Ubuntu Linux
 

Affected Versions

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0 Extended Update Support: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Extended Lifecycle Support: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Telecommunications Update Service: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Update Services for SAP Solutions: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Update Services for SAP Solutions: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.6 Extended Update Support: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.13: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.14: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.16: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.18: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.19: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.20: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.21: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.22: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6: Red Hat Hardened Images: Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4: