Security update for NetworkManager

CVE-2026-10805 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in NetworkManager's dhclient backend caused by improper handling of malformed MUD URLs. An attacker with local access can exploit this flaw to escalate privileges by triggering a script execution via a crafted MUD URL, contingent on NetworkManager being configured to use dhclient. The vulnerability does not affect default NetworkManager configurations. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 versions >=8.0.0 <8.10.21 and >=9.0.0 <9.8.6 are affected. Red Hat has issued security advisories and patches to remediate this vulnerability.

Successful exploitation allows a local user to escalate privileges to a higher level on affected systems where NetworkManager is configured to use dhclient. This can lead to full system compromise. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.7 (medium severity) with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Default configurations are not vulnerable, limiting exposure to systems with explicit dhclient usage.

Red Hat has released official security updates that fix this vulnerability. Users should apply the NetworkManager updates provided in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 versions 8.10.21 and later, and 9.8.6 and later. Systems using default NetworkManager configurations are not affected. Administrators should verify if dhclient is explicitly configured and update accordingly. Refer to the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:58555 and https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258 for detailed patching instructions.