CVE-2026-44194
CWE-78Published: May 13, 2026· Updated: May 15, 2026
Official Description
OPNsense is a FreeBSD based firewall and routing platform. Prior to 26.1.8, an authenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in the OPNsense core allows a user with user-management privileges to execute arbitrary system commands as root. An attacker can bypass input validation by formatting their malicious payload as a compliant email address, allowing shell commands to reach the underlying operating system. The flaw exists in the local user synchronization flow, within core/src/opnsense/scripts/auth/sync_user.php. This vulnerability is fixed in 26.1.8.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-44194 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
Exploitation requires high privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.1.
The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-78)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-44194 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts