Review reviewHigh

CVE-2026-16445

Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Hardened Images, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10

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.

CVSS: 7.5
EPSS: 0.99%
CISA KEV: Not listed
Published: 2026.07.21

PRIORITY ASSESSMENT

Review review

The CVSS severity warrants an early asset and exposure review.

Known exploitationNot established by KEV

Exploit probability0.99%

Technical severityCVSS 7.5

Vulnerability overview

Affected product and versions

Product: Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Hardened Images, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Affected versions: See the vendor advisory and NVD configuration data
Fixed versions: No verified fixed-version field is available yet

Recommended response sequence

Confirm exposure before applying a vendor-supported change.

Full remediation guide

1
Identify
Confirm that Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Hardened Images, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 and an affected version are present.
2
Prioritize
Combine exploitation signals with asset exposure and business criticality.
3
Remediate
Follow the vendor advisory or supported update path and preserve rollback options.
4
Verify
Recheck the version, service health, access paths, and relevant logs.

Technical data

CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE: CWE-78