CVE-2026-19624
The plugin writes attacker-controlled VPN connection properties (vpn.data and vpn.secrets values) unescaped into a generated ipsec.conf file that pluto loads as root.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.13%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
A flaw was found in NetworkManager-l2tp. The plugin writes attacker-controlled VPN connection properties (vpn.data and vpn.secrets values) unescaped into a generated ipsec.conf file that pluto loads as root. A local unprivileged user can create and activate their own L2TP VPN profile containing a newline-injected leftupdown directive; pluto executes that command as root when the IKE security association is established, resulting in local privilege escalation. This is the same bug class as CVE-2018-10900 (NetworkManager-vpnc).
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 0.13% probability · 3th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-88
- Source
- patrick@puiterwijk.org
EPSS 0.1% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/?packages=NetworkManager-l2tp
- https://github.com/nm-l2tp/NetworkManager-l2tp/commit/3704d8c9d5e5f9ed1626a8ce7627a04247cea673
- https://github.com/nm-l2tp/NetworkManager-l2tp/commit/95b6b46f48a0c9eabc79272cd313f219110ef91c
- https://github.com/nm-l2tp/NetworkManager-l2tp/releases
- https://linnemanlabs.com/posts/nm-l2tp-newline-to-root/
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.