ZDF
Sign inSign up

Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · 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.

Published May 21, 2026 · catalog updated Jul 23, 2026 · When bsdinstall or bsdconfig

Check if you run it

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-45255. EPSS is 0.34%. Act only if a listed version of When bsdinstall or bsdconfig is installed.

Gaps on this record

  • The stored product name is a package slug. The name on this page is taken from the title (When bsdinstall or bsdconfig).
  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
Severity
High7.5
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
0.34%
Remediation
Advisory link
Affected products
cpe freebsd/freebsd

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.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • cpe freebsd/freebsd14.3

How to fix CVE-2026-45255

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-45255. EPSS is 0.34%. Act only if a listed version of When bsdinstall or bsdconfig is installed.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with 14.3. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-78: OS Command Injection. EPSS 0.34%. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. May 21, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Detected

    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 subshel

  2. Jul 23, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    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 subshel

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-45255

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2026-45255

    30-day exploitation probability 0.3%

    first.org
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-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 p

    nvd.nist.gov

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 18, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.