5.7
MEDIUM CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-56117
dhcpcd Heap Use-After-Free via Control Socket Handling
Description

dhcpcd through 10.3.2, fixed in commit 78ea09e, contains a heap use-after-free vulnerability in the control socket handling within src/control.c that allows local unprivileged attackers to trigger memory corruption when privilege separation is disabled. Attackers can connect to the control socket and send a privileged command such as -x, causing control_recvdata() to free the client object while the same READ+HANGUP event subsequently reaches control_hangup() with the stale pointer, resulting in a use-after-free condition exploitable in deployments using --disable-privsep or where privsep initialization has failed with the control socket operating in mode 0666.

INFO

Published Date :

June 23, 2026, 5:17 p.m.

Last Modified :

July 14, 2026, 10:17 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-56117 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Dhcpcd_project dhcpcd
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM [email protected]
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM [email protected]
CVSS 4.0 MEDIUM 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 4.0 MEDIUM [email protected]
Solution
Fix heap use-after-free by updating dhcpcd to a version that includes the fix.
  • Update dhcpcd to a version that includes the fix.
  • Apply the security patch for control socket handling.
  • Ensure privilege separation is enabled and configured.
  • Remove the '-x' command if used.
Public PoC/Exploit Available at Github

CVE-2026-56117 has a 1 public PoC/Exploit available at Github. Go to the Public Exploits tab to see the list.

References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2026-56117.

URL Resource
https://github.com/NetworkConfiguration/dhcpcd/commit/78ea09ed1633a583dbcde6e7bab9df4639ec8a34 Patch
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/dhcpcd-heap-use-after-free-via-control-socket-handling Third Party Advisory
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-56117 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-56117 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

My profile page

Updated: 3 days, 6 hours ago
6 stars 1 fork 1 watcher
Born at : Sept. 26, 2021, 4:31 p.m. This repo has been linked 9 different CVEs too.

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-56117 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-56117 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • CVE Modified by [email protected]

    Jul. 14, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Changed Affected [{'repo': 'https://github.com/NetworkConfiguration/dhcpcd', 'vendor': 'NetworkConfiguration', 'product': 'dhcpcd', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '10.3.2'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '78ea09ed1633a583dbcde6e7bab9df4639ec8a34', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] [{'repo': 'https://github.com/NetworkConfiguration/dhcpcd', 'vendor': 'NetworkConfiguration', 'product': 'dhcpcd', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '10.3.2'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '78ea09ed1633a583dbcde6e7bab9df4639ec8a34', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'packageURL': 'pkg:github/NetworkConfiguration/dhcpcd', 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}]
  • Initial Analysis by [email protected]

    Jun. 28, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:dhcpcd_project:dhcpcd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions up to (including) 10.3.2
    Added Reference Type VulnCheck: https://github.com/NetworkConfiguration/dhcpcd/commit/78ea09ed1633a583dbcde6e7bab9df4639ec8a34 Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type VulnCheck: https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/dhcpcd-heap-use-after-free-via-control-socket-handling Types: Third Party Advisory
  • CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

    Jun. 24, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-56117', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'partial'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-06-24T13:43:04.591782Z'}
  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Jun. 23, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://github.com/NetworkConfiguration/dhcpcd', 'vendor': 'NetworkConfiguration', 'product': 'dhcpcd', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '10.3.2'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '78ea09ed1633a583dbcde6e7bab9df4639ec8a34', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}]
    Added Description dhcpcd through 10.3.2, fixed in commit 78ea09e, contains a heap use-after-free vulnerability in the control socket handling within src/control.c that allows local unprivileged attackers to trigger memory corruption when privilege separation is disabled. Attackers can connect to the control socket and send a privileged command such as -x, causing control_recvdata() to free the client object while the same READ+HANGUP event subsequently reaches control_hangup() with the stale pointer, resulting in a use-after-free condition exploitable in deployments using --disable-privsep or where privsep initialization has failed with the control socket operating in mode 0666.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-416
    Added Reference https://github.com/NetworkConfiguration/dhcpcd/commit/78ea09ed1633a583dbcde6e7bab9df4639ec8a34
    Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/dhcpcd-heap-use-after-free-via-control-socket-handling
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.