CVE-2026-42512
Remotely triggerable out-of-bounds heap write in dhclient
8.1CVSSHIGH
Description
As dhclient is building an environment to pass to dhclient-script, it may need to resize the array of string pointers. The code which expands the array incorrectly calculates its new size when requesting memory, resulting in a heap buffer overrun. A specially crafted packet can cause dhclient to overrun its buffer of environment entries. This can result in a crash, but it may be possible to leverage this bug to achieve remote code execution.
CVSS Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
AV:NAttack VectorNetwork
AC:HAttack ComplexityHigh
PR:NPrivileges RequiredNone
UI:NUser InteractionNone
Scope
S:UScopeUnchanged
Impact
C:HConfidentialityHigh
I:HIntegrityHigh
A:HAvailabilityHigh
Weaknesses
Affected Products
Attack Graph
Products CVE Techniques Tactics
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Exploitability
Official Patch Available
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique Privilege Escalation
References
Timeline
Published
Apr 30, 2026
Last Updated
May 1, 2026
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