CVE-2026-111229
HIGH 8.6pfSense CE 2.7.0 through 2.9.0 contains a command injection vulnerability in services_captiveportal_hasync.php that allows users with only the Captive Portal HA privilege to execute commands as root. Attackers can set backwardsyncip to a malicious XMLRPC server returning connected_users with shell metacharacters in ip or mac fields, which captiveportal_load_pfctl passes unescaped to a pfctl shell command.
Severe if exploited (CVSS 8.6), but no known exploitation and low modeled probability. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
6.4%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 Secondary
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-cp-ha-pfctl CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:30.058Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111229 · Updated 2026-10-16T18:17:36.993
Advisories
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/netgate-pfsense-ce-2.7.0-through-2.9.0-command-injection-via-captive-portal-ha-sync CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:30.058Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111229 · Updated 2026-10-16T18:17:36.993 - https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2026-102341 EUVD · EUVD-2026-102341
Technical & other
- https://abraxaslabs.tech/research/pfsense-ce-leftovers CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:30.058Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111229 · Updated 2026-10-16T18:17:36.993 - https://github.com/pfsense/pfsense/blob/9363ac5b8651a1c7a333180425ce7719070f95f9/src/etc/inc/captiveportal.inc#L2958-L2966 CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:30.058Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111229 · Updated 2026-10-16T18:17:36.993 - https://github.com/pfsense/pfsense/blob/9363ac5b8651a1c7a333180425ce7719070f95f9/src/usr/local/www/services_captiveportal_hasync.php#L106-L140 CVE record · VulnCheck · Updated 2026-10-15T18:46:30.058Z
NVD · CVE-2026-111229 · Updated 2026-10-16T18:17:36.993