RCE in FreeBSD
CVE-2026-45255
When bsdinstall or bsdconfig are prompted to scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks, they build up a list of network names and use bsddialog(1) to prompt the user to select a network. This is implemented using a shell script, and the code which handled network names was not careful to prevent expansion by the shell. As a result, a suitably crafted network name can be used to execute commands via a subshell. The problem can be exploited to execute code as root on the system running bsdinstall or bsdconfig. The attacker would need to create an access point with a specially crafted name and be within range of a Wi-Fi scan. Note that bsdinstall and bsdconfig are vulnerable as soon as the user prompts them to scan for nearby networks; they do not need to actually select the malicious network.
Vulnerability class: Command Injection (OS Command Injection)
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.5 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.003 (25.3th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 25th percentile — 25.3% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.003 · newest: 0.003 · change: +0.000
Affected products
- FreeBSD — versions 14.3, 15.0, 14.4-RELEASE
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-26:23.bsdinstall.asc (vendor-advisory, Vendor Advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-45255?
- CVE-2026-45255 is a high-severity vulnerability in FreeBSD, classified under OS Command Injection. CVSS score: 7.5/10. Published 2026-05-21.
- How severe is CVE-2026-45255?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.5 out of 10.