CVE-2026-28296 in Red Hat
Summary
by MITRE • 02/26/2026
A flaw was found in the FTP GVfs backend. A remote attacker could exploit this input validation vulnerability by supplying specially crafted file paths containing carriage return and line feed (CRLF) sequences. These unsanitized sequences allow the attacker to terminate intended FTP commands and inject arbitrary FTP commands, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or other severe impacts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-28296 resides within the FTP GVfs backend implementation, representing a critical input validation flaw that directly impacts the security of file transfer operations. This issue affects the GNOME Virtual File System component which provides network transparent access to remote file systems including FTP servers. The vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied file paths before they are processed by the FTP protocol handler, creating a pathway for malicious command injection attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the insertion of carriage return and line feed (CRLF) sequences within file paths that are subsequently transmitted to FTP servers. These control characters, when improperly handled, allow attackers to manipulate the FTP command stream by terminating existing commands and injecting their own malicious commands. The flaw specifically targets the protocol parsing logic that handles file path construction and transmission, where CRLF sequences are not properly escaped or filtered from user input before being sent to remote FTP servers. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-1107, which addresses improper neutralization of CRLF characters in HTTP headers, though the specific implementation in this case occurs within the FTP GVfs backend rather than HTTP contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple command injection to potentially enable arbitrary code execution on systems that rely on the affected GVfs implementation. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute commands on remote FTP servers, access unauthorized files, modify system configurations, or establish persistent access points. The vulnerability particularly affects systems that utilize GNOME-based file managers or applications that depend on GVfs for network file access, making it relevant to desktop environments and applications using the GNOME desktop environment. The attack vector requires remote exploitation, meaning that an attacker does not need local system access to exploit this vulnerability, which significantly increases its potential impact in enterprise environments where FTP services are commonly used for file sharing and data transfer operations.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input sanitization and validation mechanisms within the GVfs FTP backend. The primary fix involves ensuring that all user-supplied file paths are properly escaped or filtered to remove or encode CRLF sequences before transmission to FTP servers. System administrators should also consider implementing network-level protections such as firewall rules that restrict FTP traffic to trusted sources, and monitoring for unusual command sequences that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should ensure that their GNOME-based systems are updated with patches that address this specific vulnerability, as the fix typically involves modifications to the underlying protocol parsing logic. The mitigation strategy should align with defensive cybersecurity practices outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for command and script injection, emphasizing the need for proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in network service configurations.