Command Execution Vulnerability in FreeBSD Wi-Fi Configuration Tools

CVE-2026-45255

What is CVE-2026-45255?

The bsdinstall and bsdconfig tools in FreeBSD are susceptible to a command execution vulnerability stemming from improper handling of network names during Wi-Fi scans. When these tools are prompted to scan for nearby networks, they build a list of network names and use bsddialog(1) to facilitate user selection. However, the implementation is flawed as it doesn't adequately guard against shell expansion risks. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious access point with a carefully crafted network name, enabling the execution of arbitrary commands with root privileges on the system when the scan is initiated, irrespective of whether the malicious network is selected.

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