CVE-2026-15816

Dracut: dracut: root code execution via unescaped error message written to sourced emergency hook script in die()

Published Aug 7, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7.5 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
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.

Remediation

Vendor Workaround

Restrict DHCP server access on networks used for network boot (DHCP snooping, dedicated/trusted provisioning VLANs) until a fix is available.

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8758-1 dracut vulnerability
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8828-1 dracut vulnerabilities
References
Link Providers
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54571 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54575 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54576 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57580 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57772 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57775 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57785 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60440 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60445 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:61252 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:62269 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:62409 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:62549 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:63041 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:63044 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:65839 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:65851 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66357 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:67857 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:69118 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:69119 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:70586 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:70615 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:74499 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:79114 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:90272 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-15816 cve-icon cve-icon
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2459963 cve-icon cve-icon cve-icon
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2500889 cve-icon cve-icon
https://github.com/dracutdevs/dracut/blob/master/modules.d/40network/netroot.sh cve-icon cve-icon cve-icon
https://github.com/dracutdevs/dracut/blob/master/modules.d/99base/dracut-lib.sh cve-icon cve-icon cve-icon
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-15816 cve-icon
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-15816 cve-icon
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:5
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4 cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.12::el8
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.17::el9
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6 cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_els:6
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Aus
Redhat rhel Eus Long Life
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_aus:8.4::baseos
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_aus:8.6::baseos
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_eus_long_life:8.4::baseos
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_eus_long_life:8.6::baseos
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Aus
Redhat rhel Eus Long Life
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.19::el9
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.21::el9
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.20::el9
cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.22::el9
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Els
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7 cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_els:7
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Els
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Tus
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.8::baseos
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_tus:8.8::baseos
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Tus
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Eus
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:9.6::appstream
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_eus:9.6::baseos
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Eus
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:9.4::appstream
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_e4s:9.4::baseos
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel E4s
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:9.2::appstream
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_e4s:9.2::baseos
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel E4s
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat enterprise Linux Eus
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:10.0
Vendors & Products Redhat enterprise Linux Eus
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10.2
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat hardened Images
Redhat openshift Container Platform
Vendors & Products Redhat hardened Images
Redhat openshift Container Platform
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description 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.
Title Dracut: dracut: root code execution via unescaped error message written to sourced emergency hook script in die()
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat hummingbird
Redhat openshift
Weaknesses CWE-78
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:hummingbird:1
cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat hummingbird
Redhat openshift
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}