Remote code execution via installer Wi-Fi access point scans

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Summary

CVECVE-2026-45255
StatePUBLISHED
Assignerfreebsd
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-05-21 10:16:26 UTC
Updated2026-05-21 19:00:34 UTC
DescriptionWhen 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.

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 7.5 HIGH from ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS: 0.000090000 probability, percentile 0.009840000 (date 2026-05-27)

Problem Types: CWE-78 | CWE-78 CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command

VersionSourceTypeScoreSeverityVector
3.1ADPDECLARED7.5HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.1134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0Secondary7.5HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Adjacent
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)

TypeVendorProductVersionUpdateEditionLanguage
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 - All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p1 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p10 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p11 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p12 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p13 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p2 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p3 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p4 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p5 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p6 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p7 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p8 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.3 p9 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.4 - All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.4 p1 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.4 p2 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.4 p3 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.4 p4 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 14.4 rc1 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 15.0 - All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 15.0 p1 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 15.0 p2 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 15.0 p3 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 15.0 p4 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 15.0 p5 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 15.0 p6 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 15.0 p7 All All
Operating System Freebsd Freebsd 15.0 p8 All All

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA FreeBSD FreeBSD affected 15.0-RELEASE p9 release Not specified
CNA FreeBSD FreeBSD affected 14.4-RELEASE p5 release Not specified
CNA FreeBSD FreeBSD affected 14.3-RELEASE p14 release Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-26:23.bsdinstall.asc [email protected] security.freebsd.org Vendor Advisory
CVE Program record CVE.ORG www.cve.org canonical
NVD vulnerability detail NVD nvd.nist.gov canonical, analysis

Vendor Comments And Credit

Discovery Credit

CNA: Austin Ralls (en)

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