# CVE-2026-15816: Dracut: dracut: root code execution via unescaped error message written to sourced emergency hook script in die() > A remote attacker on the adjacent network can execute arbitrary commands as root via DHCP option injection in dracut emergency hooks. - **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 7 Aug 2026 - **Updated:** 27 Oct 2026 - **Also known as:** ALSA-2026:54571, ALSA-2026:54575, ALSA-2026:54576, CLSA-2026-1787152228, CLSA-2026-1787153216, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-15816, GHSA-8pxm-cr92-crx8, OESA-2026-3472, OESA-2026-3473, OESA-2026-3474, OESA-2026-3500, OESA-2026-3501, RHSA-2026:54571, RHSA-2026:54575, RHSA-2026:54576, RLSA-2026:54571, RLSA-2026:54575, RLSA-2026:54576, SUSE-SU-2026:23195-1, SUSE-SU-2026:23246-1, SUSE-SU-2026:23276-1, SUSE-SU-2026:23314-1, SUSE-SU-2026:3598-1, SUSE-SU-2026:3599-1, SUSE-SU-2026:3611-1, SUSE-SU-2026:3612-1, SUSE-SU-2026:3613-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-15816, USN-8758-1, openSUSE-SU-2026:11504-1, openSUSE-SU-2026:21639-1 ## What is CVE-2026-15816? CVE-2026-15816 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, published on 7 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official 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. Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-15816? | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `dracut` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-caps` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-config-generic` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-config-rescue` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-live` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-network` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-squash` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-tools` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-caps` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-config-generic` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-config-rescue` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-live` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-network` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-squash` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-tools` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 | | `dracut-caps` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 | | `dracut-config-generic` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 | | `dracut-config-rescue` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 | | `dracut-live` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 | | `dracut-network` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 | | `dracut-squash` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 | | `dracut-tools` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 | | `dracut` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-caps` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-config-generic` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-config-rescue` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-live` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-network` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-squash` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut-tools` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.2 | All versions | 0:107-9.el10_2 | | `dracut` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-caps` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-config-generic` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-config-rescue` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | | `dracut-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:049-246.git20260728.el8_10 | ## How do I fix CVE-2026-15816? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2026-15816 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-15816 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2026-15816 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2026-15816 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, published on 7 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-15816 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page. Task: 1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies. 2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it. 3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead. 4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why. 5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing. Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15816/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15816/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-15816 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-15816 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-15816 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15816/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.