Indirect shell command injection in wicked DHCP client leaseinfo handling
CVE-2026-44932 affects wicked before version 0.6.79. The vulnerability arises because DHCP-derived strings are insufficiently sanitized before being written into /run/wicked/leaseinfo.* files. The vulnerable behavior is described in the leaseinfo dump path, including __ni_leaseinfo_print_string(), which formats attacker-controlled values into shell-style key='value' lines without properly escaping embedded single quotes or otherwise validating unsafe content. An attacker operating a malicious DHCP server on the local or adjacent network can return crafted DHCP option values containing shell metacharacters. Although wicked itself does not source the leaseinfo files by default, downstream third-party scripts or modules that source these files can execute the injected shell content. The issue has been described as an indirect remote shell command injection / code execution flaw.
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Impact, mitigation & remediation
What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
Impact
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
network-legacy as an example of a downstream consumer that may source leaseinfo files as root during early boot.Mitigation
If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.
/run/wicked/leaseinfo.* files, especially privileged consumers. The context specifically notes that dracut network-legacy is not active by default; keeping such optional consumers disabled reduces exposure. Where operationally possible, restrict adjacent-network access to trusted DHCP infrastructure and monitor for anomalous DHCP option content containing shell metacharacters.Remediation
Patch, then assume compromise.
0.6.79-150700.3.3.1 for some product lines, with other released fixed builds such as 0.6.79-150400.3.39.1, 0.6.79-150500.3.42.1, 0.6.79-3.56.1, 0.6.79-bp160.1.1, and 0.6.79-1.1 depending on platform. The fix escapes single quotes in leaseinfo dump output and adds stricter validation for affected DHCP option handling. The release notes also state that systems updating from wicked 0.6.78 or earlier should regenerate initrd because affected wicked binaries may be present there.Exploits
No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.
No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.
Recent activity
8 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A command injection vulnerability in the wicked DHCP client before version 0.6.79, where unsanitized strings from DHCP replies can allow a malicious DHCP server to execute code on the local machine.
An indirect remote shell command injection vulnerability in the wicked network configuration framework caused by insufficient sanitization of DHCP options written to leaseinfo files. Third-party scripts that source those files can be tricked into executing attacker-controlled commands, enabling adjacent-network remote code execution.
A specific vulnerability affecting the wicked package across multiple SUSE and openSUSE products, rated Important by SUSE, with released security advisories and fixed package versions available for numerous affected products.
The version that knows your environment.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.