CVE-2026-111223: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') in Netgate pfSense CE
Description
Netgate pfSense CE 2.7.0 through 2.9.0 contains a configuration injection vulnerability that allows authenticated users with IPsec Mobile privileges to execute commands as root via the login_banner field. Attackers can submit a single-line banner containing '}' to escape the unquoted strongswan.conf attr value and define charon.start-scripts entries that charon executes as root on restart.
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-2026-111223 describes a configuration injection vulnerability in Netgate pfSense CE versions 2.7.0 through 2.9.0. Authenticated users with IPsec Mobile privileges can exploit improper neutralization of special characters in the login_banner field. By submitting a crafted single-line banner containing '}', attackers can escape the unquoted strongswan.conf attribute value and define charon.start-scripts entries. These scripts are executed by the charon daemon as root upon restart, allowing command execution with root privileges.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows authenticated IPsec Mobile users to execute arbitrary commands as root on the pfSense CE system. This can lead to full system compromise, unauthorized control, and potential disruption of network security functions.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, restrict IPsec Mobile user privileges and monitor for suspicious configuration changes related to the login_banner field. Avoid restarting the charon daemon with untrusted configuration inputs.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- VulnCheck
- Date Reserved
- 2026-10-15T18:21:21.197Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6ad123be2cdf04f65652b744
Added to database: 10/15/2026, 19:04:30 UTC
Last enriched: 10/15/2026, 19:18:42 UTC
Last updated: 10/15/2026, 20:34:03 UTC
Views: 10
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