CVE-2026-45255 PUBLISHED

Remote code execution via installer Wi-Fi access point scans

Assigner: freebsd
Reserved: 11.05.2026 Published: 21.05.2026 Updated: 21.05.2026

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.

Product Status

Vendor FreeBSD
Product FreeBSD
Versions Default: unknown
  • affected from 15.0-RELEASE to p9 (excl.)
  • affected from 14.4-RELEASE to p5 (excl.)
  • affected from 14.3-RELEASE to p14 (excl.)

Credits

  • Austin Ralls finder

References

Problem Types

  • CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command CWE