CVE-2026-111216: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') in Netgate pfSense CE
Description
Netgate pfSense CE up to version 2.9.0 contains an OS command injection vulnerability that allows authenticated users with gateway edit privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root. This occurs via injection of shell metacharacters into an IPv6 link-local zone index when setting a gateway Monitor IP. The vulnerability arises because the zone value is not properly validated or escaped before being passed to the dpinger shell command.
CVSS v4.0
Score 8.6high
Affected software
Netgate
pfSense CE
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AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-111216 is an OS command injection vulnerability in Netgate pfSense CE versions up to 2.9.0. Authenticated users with gateway edit privileges can exploit this by injecting shell metacharacters into the IPv6 link-local zone index of a gateway Monitor IP. The injected payload is passed unescaped to the dpinger shell command by the start_dpinger() function, allowing execution of arbitrary commands with root privileges.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authenticated user with gateway edit privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the pfSense CE system. This can lead to full system compromise, unauthorized access, and control over network traffic and device configuration.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict gateway edit privileges to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious activity related to gateway Monitor IP configuration.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- VulnCheck
- Date Reserved
- 2026-10-15T18:21:18.103Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6ad123bc2cdf04f65652b73a
Added to database: 10/15/2026, 19:04:28 UTC
Last enriched: 10/15/2026, 19:19:37 UTC
Last updated: 10/15/2026, 19:19:37 UTC
Views: 6
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