CVE-2026-45255
📛 CVE Title
Remote code execution via installer Wi-Fi access point scans
Description
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.
Overview
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Assigner (CNA)
- freebsd
- CVSS severity
- high
- CVSS score
- 7.5 / 10
- CVSS vector
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C- Effective score
- 7.5 / 10 HIGH source: CNA overview
- CWE(s)
-
CWE-78 - Reserved
- 2026-05-11
- Published
- 2026-05-21 09:27 UTC
- Last updated
- 2026-05-21 09:27 UTC
- Source
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2026/45xxx/CVE-2026-45255.json
- Linked Threat
- CVE-2026-45255 — CVE-2026-45255
NVD triage scoring NVD CVE 2.0
Layer NVD adds on top of the CNA's CVE record — published / last-modified timestamps, exploitability / impact subscores, and the FIRST.org EPSS probability that this CVE will be exploited in the wild in the next 30 days.
- NVD published
- 2026-05-21 10:16:26 UTC
- NVD last modified
- 2026-05-21 19:00:34 UTC
- NVD CVSS v3.1
- 7.5 / 10 HIGH source: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
- NVD CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Exploitability subscore
- 1.6 / 10
- Impact subscore
- 5.9 / 10
- EPSS score
- 0.0001 (probability of exploitation in next 30 days)
- EPSS percentile
- 0.71% vs all CVEs — higher = more likely to be exploited, as of 2026-05-24
NVD / KEV / EPSS data refreshed 2026-05-25 00:28 UTC. Re-run the 🛰 Backfill from NVD button above to refresh.
European Union Vulnerability Database ENISA EUVD
ENISA's official EU repository for curated vulnerability intelligence. Carries a separate identifier (EUVD-YYYY-NNNN) and frequently exposes an earlier-published description + CVSS than NVD does.
- EUVD ID
-
EUVD-2026-31263 - Assigner
- freebsd
- Published
- May 21, 2026, 9:27:20 AM
- Updated
- May 22, 2026, 3:55:39 AM
- EUVD base score (CVSS 3.1)
-
7.5 / 10
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - EUVD-reported EPSS
- 0.0100
- Vendors
- FreeBSD
- Products
-
FreeBSD (14.4-RELEASE <p5)FreeBSD (15.0-RELEASE <p9)FreeBSD (14.3-RELEASE <p14)
- Aliases
-
GHSA-qj4f-cpgw-vqx9
ENISA description: 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.
EUVD references (1)
Affected products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreeBSD | FreeBSD |
15.0-RELEASE (affected),
14.4-RELEASE (affected),
14.3-RELEASE (affected)
|
— |
Affected products — CPE 2.3 (29) NVD
NVD's normalized CPE 2.3 matchers, used by vendor tools (vulnerability scanners, asset managers) for automated detection. Compare with the CNA's free-text "Affected products" section above.
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p10:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p11:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p12:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p13:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p5:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p6:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p7:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p8:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p9:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p5:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p6:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p7:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p8:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendor references (1)
References embedded in the original CVE record by the assigning CNA.
Web references (5)
DuckDuckGo results ranked by threat-intel / vendor advisory domains. Generated by the 🔎 Find references (web) button above — same flow as the Remediations search.
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45255 tenable:nvd.nist.gov
- https://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-26:23.bsdinstall.asc tenable:security.freebsd.org
- https://www.first.org/epss/ tenable:www.first.org
- https://attackerkb.com/topics/CVE-2026-45255 rapid7:attackerkb.com
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-45255 rapid7:www.cve.org
NVD-tagged references (1)
Reference list NVD curates from the CNA record, vendor advisories, and third-party reports. The tag chips below are NVD's analyst-assigned categories.
- https://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-26:23.bsdinstall.asc secteam@freebsd.org Vendor Advisory
Remediations (17)
Remediations are stored against the linked Threat row; the list below is deduplicated across both pages.
-
web:blog.talosintelligence.com
Microsoft has released its monthly security update for May 2026 , which includes 137 vulnerabilities affecting a range of products, including 16 that Microsoft marked as "critical".
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:cybersecuritynews.com
No patch has been released yet; Microsoft has instead issued a multi-step manual mitigation guide while a formal security update is prepared. Windows BitLocker Security Bypass The vulnerability originates in WinRE's handling of the BootExecute registry value under HKLM\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager.
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:krebsonsecurity.com
Microsoft expects that exploitation is more likely. May's Patch Tuesday is a welcome respite from April, which saw Microsoft fix a near-record 167 security flaws.
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:nvd.nist.gov
Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:portal.msrc.microsoft.com
The Security Update Guide provides information on the latest Microsoft security updates, helping users understand and address potential vulnerabilities effectively.
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:securereading.com
Microsoft has released its May 2026 Patch Tuesday security updates addressing multiple critical vulnerabilities affecting enterprise cloud services, operating systems, virtualization infrastructure, authentication platforms, and business applications.
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:www.bleepingcomputer.com
Today is Microsoft's May 2026 Patch Tuesday, with security updates for 120 flaws and no zero-days disclosed this month.
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:www.notebookcheck.net
Microsoft released mitigation steps for YellowKey ( CVE - 2026 -45585), a BitLocker bypass that grants physical attackers access to encrypted Windows drives.
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:www.securityweek.com
Microsoft has announced mitigations for CVE - 2026 -45585, a BitLocker bypass triggered via FsTx in Windows Recovery.
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:zecurit.com
Get the complete breakdown of Microsoft's May 2026 Patch Tuesday. We analyze the latest security updates and all critical CVEs .
2026-05-23 22:20 UTC -
web:blackswan-cybersecurity.com
Cloud Files API activity originating outside legitimate OneDrive/sync processes. Mitigation Steps: Apply all Windows updates immediately (monitor MSRC for an emergency RedSun-specific patch . None released as of April 17, 2026 ). Supplement Defender with a secondary EDR solution (e.g., Huntress) capable of detecting Defender bypasses.
2026-06-03 22:32 UTC -
web:cybersecuritynews.com
Microsoft's May 2026 Patch Tuesday lands with a heavy enterprise focus, fixing 120 vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, Azure, developer tools, and Microsoft 365 apps, including 29 remote code execution (RCE) flaws rated Critical.
2026-06-03 22:32 UTC -
web:thecyberexpress.com
Microsoft has rolled out its May 2026 Patch Tuesday security updates, delivering fixes for approximately 120 vulnerabilities across Windows, Microsoft Office, networking services, and enterprise platforms.
2026-06-03 22:32 UTC -
web:www.dbtsupport.com
The May 2026 Microsoft Patch Tuesday release includes security updates across supported Microsoft products and should be reviewed directly in the Microsoft Security Update Guide for the final CVE list, affected products, severity ratings, exploitability assessments, and any revised guidance.
2026-06-03 22:32 UTC -
web:www.helpnetsecurity.com
Microsoft is working on a fix for CVE - 2026 -45585 (aka "Yellowkey"), a vulnerability that can be used to bypass Windows' BitLocker protection.
2026-06-03 22:32 UTC -
web:www.lansweeper.com
Which vulnerabilities, issues, and other things did Microsoft update? Discover what's new using Lansweeper's Patch Tuesday May 2026 summary.
2026-06-03 22:32 UTC -
web:www.oracle.com
This Critical Patch Update contains 481 new security patches across the product families listed below. Please note that an MOS note summarizing the content of this Critical Patch Update and other Oracle Software Security Assurance activities is located at April 2026 Critical Patch Update: Executive Summary and Analysis.
2026-06-03 22:32 UTC
AI Forensic Analysis
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Raw JSON
The full cvelistV5 record. Download as CVE-2026-45255.json.
{
"containers": {
"cna": {
"affected": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unknown",
"modules": [
"bsdinstall"
],
"product": "FreeBSD",
"vendor": "FreeBSD",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "p9",
"status": "affected",
"version": "15.0-RELEASE",
"versionType": "release"
},
{
"lessThan": "p5",
"status": "affected",
"version": "14.4-RELEASE",
"versionType": "release"
},
{
"lessThan": "p14",
"status": "affected",
"version": "14.3-RELEASE",
"versionType": "release"
}
]
}
],
"credits": [
{
"lang": "en",
"type": "finder",
"value": "Austin Ralls"
}
],
"datePublic": "2026-05-20T23:00:00.000Z",
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "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.\n\nThe 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."
}
],
"problemTypes": [
{
"descriptions": [
{
"cweId": "CWE-78",
"description": "CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command",
"lang": "en",
"type": "CWE"
}
]
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-05-21T09:27:20.431Z",
"orgId": "63664ac6-956c-4cba-a5d0-f46076e16109",
"shortName": "freebsd"
},
"references": [
{
"tags": [
"vendor-advisory"
],
"url": "https://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-26:23.bsdinstall.asc"
}
],
"title": "Remote code execution via installer Wi-Fi access point scans",
"x_generator": {
"engine": "cvelib 1.8.0"
}
}
},
"cveMetadata": {
"assignerOrgId": "63664ac6-956c-4cba-a5d0-f46076e16109",
"assignerShortName": "freebsd",
"cveId": "CVE-2026-45255",
"datePublished": "2026-05-21T09:27:20.431Z",
"dateReserved": "2026-05-11T16:27:44.891Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-05-21T09:27:20.431Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
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"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
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