CVE-2026-45255: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-qj4f-cpgw-vqx9
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-78
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-45255 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-45255 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-45255
GHSA Identifier GHSA-qj4f-cpgw-vqx9
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Adjacent (AV:A)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-45255

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-45255, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

When bsdinstall or bsdconfig are prompted to scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks, they build up a list of network names and use bsddialog(1) to prompt the user to select a network. This is implemented using a shell script, and the code which handled network names was not careful to prevent expansion by the shell. As a result, a suitably crafted network name can be used to execute commands via a subshell. The problem can be exploited to execute code as root on the system running bsdinstall or bsdconfig. The attacker would need to create an access point with a specially crafted name and be within range of a Wi-Fi scan. Note that bsdinstall and bsdconfig are vulnerable as soon as the user prompts them to scan for nearby networks; they do not need to actually select the malicious network.

References

NVD — CVE-2026-45255 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45255
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-26:23.bsdinstall.asc

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-45255?
CVE-2026-45255 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection').
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-45255?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-45255?
CVE-2026-45255 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-45255?
CVE-2026-45255 is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-45255?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-qj4f-cpgw-vqx9",
  "modified" : "2026-05-21T15:34:08Z",
  "published" : "2026-05-21T12:31:45Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-45255" ],
  "details" : "When bsdinstall or bsdconfig are prompted to scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks, they build up a list of network names and use bsddialog(1) to prompt the user to select a network.  This is implemented using a shell script, and the code which handled network names was not careful to prevent expansion by the shell.  As a result, a suitably crafted network name can be used to execute commands via a subshell.\n\nThe problem can be exploited to execute code as root on the system running bsdinstall or bsdconfig.  The attacker would need to create an access point with a specially crafted name and be within range of a Wi-Fi scan.  Note that bsdinstall and bsdconfig are vulnerable as soon as the user prompts them to scan for nearby networks; they do not need to actually select the malicious network.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45255"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-26:23.bsdinstall.asc"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-21T10:16:26Z"
  }
}