# CVE-2026-41489: Pi-hole: Local privilege escalation via config-controlled path in root-executed service hooks

> Local attackers with pihole privileges can escalate to root by manipulating config-controlled paths in root-executed service hooks to overwrite sensitive files.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 May 2026
- **Updated:** 13 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6w8x-p785-6pm4

## What is CVE-2026-41489?

CVE-2026-41489 is a high-severity vulnerability in pi-hole, published on 11 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Pi-hole is a DNS sinkhole that protects devices from unwanted content without installing any client-side software. From 6.0 to before Core 6.4.2 and FTL 6.6.1, two shell scripts executed as root by systemd (pihole-FTL-prestart.sh and pihole-FTL-poststop.sh) read the files.pid path from this config without validation and use it in privileged file operations (install and rm -f). By writing an arbitrary path into files.pid, an attacker with pihole privilege can cause root to delete and then recreate any file on the system outside the ProtectSystem=full-restricted directories, gaining write access to it. On a default Pi-hole installation this yields local privilege escalation to root via SSH authorized keys manipulation. If /root/.ssh/authorized_keys does not exist (default on fresh installs), only ExecStartPre is required. If the file exists, ExecStopPost deletes it first, and the same restart triggers both hooks in sequence. This vulnerability is fixed in Core 6.4.2 and FTL 6.6.1.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource), CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), CWE-15 (External Control of System or Configuration Setting)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-41489?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-41489?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-41489 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-41489 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-41489 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-41489 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-41489 is a high-severity vulnerability in pi-hole, published on 11 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-41489 exists.

Affected product: pi-hole. 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-2026-41489/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41489/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41489
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41489
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41489

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41489/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.