CVE-2026-16445: dracut OS Command Injection

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-16445 is a high (CVSS 7.5) OS Command Injection vulnerability in dracut. EPSS estimates a 1.12% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 65.6% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 21-07-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 21-09-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

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.

• CWE-78Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')The product 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.