CVE-2026-85979: CWE-78 Improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command ('OS command injection') in Perforce Software Puppet Enterprise
Affected versions of Puppet Enterprise contain a command injection vulnerability in the handling of the java_keystore_passwd parameter. An authenticated user with Puppet administrative privileges can inject arbitrary shell commands by providing a specially crafted value for this parameter, which is passed to a shell execution context without sufficient sanitization. Because the resulting commands are executed with root privileges, successful exploitation can lead to full compromise of the affected system.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-85979 is an OS command injection vulnerability in Perforce Software's Puppet Enterprise affecting specific versions. The flaw arises from improper neutralization of special elements in the java_keystore_passwd parameter, allowing an authenticated Puppet admin to inject arbitrary shell commands. These commands execute with root privileges, enabling full system compromise. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 score of 8.6, indicating high severity. The affected versions are >=2023.8.4 <=2023.8.10 and >=2025.4.0 <=2025.11.2. No vendor advisory or patch information is provided, so patch status is not confirmed.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authenticated Puppet administrative user to execute arbitrary shell commands as root, leading to full system compromise of the affected host.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict Puppet administrative access to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious activity related to the java_keystore_passwd parameter.
CVE-2026-85979: CWE-78 Improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command ('OS command injection') in Perforce Software Puppet Enterprise
Description
Affected versions of Puppet Enterprise contain a command injection vulnerability in the handling of the java_keystore_passwd parameter. An authenticated user with Puppet administrative privileges can inject arbitrary shell commands by providing a specially crafted value for this parameter, which is passed to a shell execution context without sufficient sanitization. Because the resulting commands are executed with root privileges, successful exploitation can lead to full compromise of the affected system.
CVSS v4.0
Score 8.6high
Affected software
Perforce Software
Puppet Enterprise
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-85979 is an OS command injection vulnerability in Perforce Software's Puppet Enterprise affecting specific versions. The flaw arises from improper neutralization of special elements in the java_keystore_passwd parameter, allowing an authenticated Puppet admin to inject arbitrary shell commands. These commands execute with root privileges, enabling full system compromise. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 score of 8.6, indicating high severity. The affected versions are >=2023.8.4 <=2023.8.10 and >=2025.4.0 <=2025.11.2. No vendor advisory or patch information is provided, so patch status is not confirmed.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authenticated Puppet administrative user to execute arbitrary shell commands as root, leading to full system compromise of the affected host.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict Puppet administrative access to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious activity related to the java_keystore_passwd parameter.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- Perforce
- Date Reserved
- 2026-09-04T18:45:39.755Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6aa4149991cc7f38484bd9b0
Added to database: 09/11/2026, 14:47:53 UTC
Last enriched: 09/11/2026, 15:03:06 UTC
Last updated: 09/11/2026, 15:33:04 UTC
Views: 4
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