CVE-2026-19624
Received Received - Intake

NetworkManager-l2tp Local Privilege Escalation via ipsec.conf Injection

Publication date: 2026-09-14

Last updated on: 2026-09-14

Assigner: Fedora Project

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).

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-14
Last Modified
2026-09-14
Generated
2026-09-15
AI Q&A
2026-09-14
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-19624
EUVD
EUVD-2026-77774

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
networkmanager networkmanager-l2tp *
networkmanager-l2tp networkmanager-l2tp to 1.0.16 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-88 The product constructs a string for a command to be executed by a separate component in another control sphere, but it does not properly delimit the intended arguments, options, or switches within that command string.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-19624 is a vulnerability in NetworkManager-l2tp where an unprivileged local user can inject a newline character into VPN configuration fields. This flaw allows command injection by writing unescaped attacker-controlled data into an ipsec.conf file that is executed as root by the IPsec daemon (Libreswan or strongSwan). The issue stems from missing input validation in the nm-l2tp-service component, enabling privilege escalation.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check the NetworkManager-l2tp version on your system using: rpm -q NetworkManager-l2tp or dpkg -l network-manager-l2tp. If the version is below the fixed releases (1.52.4, 1.20.24, 1.8.10, 1.2.22, 1.0.16), the system is vulnerable. Inspect VPN configuration files in /run/nm-l2tp-*/ipsec.conf for unexpected newline characters or commands in fields like vpn.data or vpn.secrets.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with local access could exploit this to execute arbitrary commands as root, potentially taking full control of the system. This includes bypassing security mechanisms like SELinux or AppArmor, depending on the distribution. The attack requires only a local login session and no special privileges.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability primarily enables local privilege escalation to root, which could allow unauthorized access to sensitive data or system configurations. For GDPR, this could lead to unauthorized processing or access to personal data, violating principles of data protection and security. For HIPAA, it may result in unauthorized access to protected health information, compromising confidentiality and integrity requirements.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update NetworkManager-l2tp to the latest fixed version (1.52.4, 1.20.24, 1.8.10, 1.2.22, or 1.0.16) from official repositories. Avoid creating or activating untrusted VPN profiles until patched. Review and remove any suspicious VPN configurations that may contain injected commands.

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