CVE-2026-111226
HIGH 8.6pfSense CE 2.4.5 through 2.9.0 contains an OS command injection vulnerability that allows authenticated WebGUI users with Advanced Admin Access privilege to execute commands as root via Login Protection settings. Attackers can submit sshguard threshold, block time, or detection time values containing newlines or $(...) that are written unvalidated to sshguard.conf and sourced as root on restart.
Severe if exploited (CVSS 8.6), but no known exploitation and low modeled probability. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
6.5%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 94th percentile
Impact if exploited
8.6CVSS 4.0 · HIGH
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityHigh
- AvailabilityHigh
What an attacker needs
- ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
- ⚠Privileges: Requires an admin / high-privilege account
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
- ✓Requirements: No special attack requirements
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept
No public PoC is currently catalogued.
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Data snapshot:
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
References and research data (JSON)
All CVSS metrics
- HIGH 8.6 v4.0 · CNA Primary
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - HIGH 7.2 v3.1 · CNA Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - HIGH 8.6 v4.0 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - HIGH 7.2 v3.1 · NVD Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
Exploit-tagged references (not proof of a PoC)
- https://github.com/abraxas/pfsense-sshguard-crlf CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:25.792Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111226 · Updated 2026-10-15T21:05:32.823
Advisories
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/netgate-pfsense-ce-2.4.5-through-2.9.0-os-command-injection-via-system-advanced-admin-php CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:25.792Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111226 · Updated 2026-10-15T21:05:32.823 - https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2026-102338 EUVD · EUVD-2026-102338
Technical & other
- https://abraxaslabs.tech/research/pfsense-ce-leftovers CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:25.792Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111226 · Updated 2026-10-15T21:05:32.823 - https://github.com/pfsense/pfsense/blob/9363ac5b8651a1c7a333180425ce7719070f95f9/src/usr/local/pfSense/include/www/system_advanced_admin.inc#L355-L381 CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:25.792Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111226 · Updated 2026-10-15T21:05:32.823 - https://github.com/pfsense/pfsense/blob/9363ac5b8651a1c7a333180425ce7719070f95f9/src/etc/inc/syslog.inc#L531-L563 CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:25.792Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111226 · Updated 2026-10-15T21:05:32.823