High [CVE-2026-16445] Root code execution via DHCP options command injection in NetworkManager initrd module
This high-severity Red Hat Linux advisory covers CVE-2026-16445 affecting Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Hardened Images, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.
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Summary
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.
This affects systems configured to boot using dracut's network-manager module with a DHCP-derived netroot (for example, NFS-root configurations). Red Hat severity: Important — CVSS 7.5 (CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Weakness: CWE-78. Affected Red Hat products: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8; Red Hat Hardened Images; Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.
Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 as not affected. Red Hat fixing advisory: RHSA-2026:26534, RHSA-2026:40700.
Affected products named by the advisory: Red Hat package: dracut.
Affected versions
No affected-version range was extracted from the source record. The vendor advisory is authoritative — check it before change work.
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 6 days ago·verify at source
- dracut-0:049-244.git20260529.el8_10
- dracut-main-109-7.hum1
- RHSA-2026:26534
- RHSA-2026:40700
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 6 days ago·verify at source
Mitigation checklist
- Avoid using the root=dhcp/netroot=dhcp/root=dhcp6/netroot=dhcp6 kernel command-line options — these cause dracut to trust the DHCP server's root-path option to determine the boot target. Configuring the netroot target explicitly on the kernel/PXE command line instead (e.g. netroot=nfs:<server>:<path> or netroot=iscsi:... with a literal value).
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 6 days ago·verify at source
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