CVE-2026-85979
Received Received - Intake

Command Injection in Puppet Enterprise

Publication date: 2026-09-11

Last updated on: 2026-09-11

Assigner: Perforce

Description
Affected versions of Puppet Enterprise contain a command injection vulnerability in the handling of the java_keystore_passwd parameter. An authenticated user with Puppet administrative privileges can inject arbitrary shell commands by providing a specially crafted value for this parameter, which is passed to a shell execution context without sufficient sanitization. Because the resulting commands are executed with root privileges, successful exploitation can lead to full compromise of the affected system.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-11
Last Modified
2026-09-11
Generated
2026-09-11
AI Q&A
2026-09-11
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-85979
EUVD
EUVD-2026-76124

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
puppet puppet_enterprise *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-269 The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.
CWE-78 The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.
CWE-20 The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

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Executive Summary

This is a command injection vulnerability in Puppet Enterprise. It affects the java_keystore_passwd parameter, which is not properly sanitized before being passed to a shell execution context. An authenticated user with administrative privileges can exploit this to inject arbitrary shell commands. Since these commands run with root privileges, an attacker could fully compromise the system.

Detection Guidance

Check Puppet Enterprise logs for suspicious java_keystore_passwd parameter values or unexpected shell command executions. Review system logs for root-level commands not initiated by authorized Puppet processes.

Impact Analysis

If you use an affected version of Puppet Enterprise, an attacker with administrative access could execute arbitrary commands as root. This could allow them to take full control of your system, install malware, steal data, or disrupt operations.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access and data breaches, violating GDPR and HIPAA requirements for data protection and access controls. Organizations may face fines, legal action, and reputational damage if exploited.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Puppet Enterprise patch immediately. Restrict Puppet administrative privileges to only necessary users. Monitor for unauthorized root-level command executions.

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