CVE-2026-85013: Environment-modules: command injection in environment-modules bash completion via malicious module names containing shell metacharacters

Severity: high (CVSS 7.3 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-09-15 · updated 2026-10-19
Weakness: CWE-78

Description

A flaw was found in environment-modules. A local attacker can exploit this vulnerability by placing a maliciously named modulefile in a location visible to the victim's `MODULEPATH`. When the victim uses Bash completion for `module` or `ml` commands, the malicious module name, containing shell metacharacters, is evaluated as a command. This can lead to arbitrary command execution in the completing user's shell, impacting their confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Affected products

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10: all versions — fixed in 0:5.6.1-2.el10_2.1
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7: all versions
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: all versions — fixed in 0:4.5.2-5.el8_10
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: all versions — fixed in 0:5.3.0-2.el9_8.1
Red Hat Hardened Images: all versions — fixed in 5.6.2-1.hum1

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 0:5.6.1-2.el10_2.1; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 0:4.5.2-5.el8_10; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 0:5.3.0-2.el9_8.1; Red Hat Hardened Images 5.6.2-1.hum1. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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