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Code InjectionWeakness · CWE-94

CVE-2026-44888

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-27
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Pi.Alert is a WIFI / LAN intruder detector with web service monitoring. Prior to 2026-05-07, Pi.Alert's SaveConfigFile() endpoint writes user-supplied numeric config values (e.g., SMTP_PORT) directly into pialert.conf without validation. Since pialert.conf is loaded via Python's exec() every 3–5 minutes by the background cron process, an attacker can inject arbitrary Python code and achieve unauthenticated OS-level RCE. On default installations (PIALERT_WEB_PROTECTION = False), no credentials are required. This vulnerability is fixed in 2026-05-07.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Pi.Alert's SaveConfigFile() endpoint writes user-supplied numeric config values directly into pialert.conf without validation. Since pialert.conf is loaded via Python's exec() every 3-5 minutes, an attacker can inject arbitrary Python code for unauthenticated OS-level RCE. Default installations with PIALERT_WEB_PROTECTION = False require no authentication.

MitigationUpgrade to version dated 2026-05-07 or later. As a defense-in-depth measure, enable PIALERT_WEB_PROTECTION to require authentication on the web interface.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Pi.Alert installation
    Locate the pialert directory on the system. Common paths include /home/pi/pialert, /opt/pialert, or /var/www/pialert. Look for the presence of pialert.conf and main Python files.
    Affected if Pi.Alert is installed on the system and the pialert.conf configuration file exists.
  2. Determine the installed version
    Check for a version file (such as version or version.txt) in the Pi.Alert directory, or inspect the main Python files for a version string. Compare the discovered version against the fixed version dated 2026-05-07 or later.
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than the 2026-05-07 patch or the version cannot be determined.
  3. Check PIALERT_WEB_PROTECTION setting
    Open the pialert.conf file and search for the line containing PIALERT_WEB_PROTECTION. Verify whether it is set to False (the vulnerable default) or True (the hardened setting).
    Affected if PIALERT_WEB_PROTECTION is set to False or is not explicitly set (defaulting to False).
  4. Confirm web interface accessibility
    Attempt to access the Pi.Alert web interface (typically on port 80 or 8000) without providing any authentication credentials. If login is not required, the interface is publicly accessible.
    Affected if The web interface accepts requests without requiring authentication.
  5. Verify SaveConfigFile endpoint exists
    Check the web server or API route configuration for the presence of a SaveConfigFile or similar endpoint that handles configuration saves. If accessible without auth, the injection point exists.
    Affected if The SaveConfigFile endpoint is accessible without authentication.

A system is affected if Pi.Alert is installed with a version earlier than 2026-05-07 and PIALERT_WEB_PROTECTION is disabled (False), allowing unauthenticated access to the vulnerable SaveConfigFile endpoint.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to version dated 2026-05-07 or later. As a defense-in-depth measure, enable PIALERT_WEB_PROTECTION to require authentication on the web interface.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Pi.Alert version released on or after 2026-05-07

  1. 1. Identify current Pi.Alert version by checking the installation or running 'grep VERSION /path/to/pialert/back/pialert.py' or similar
  2. 2. Download the fixed Pi.Alert release from the official GitHub repository (github.com/packet-clearing-house/pialert) - look for commits/releases on or after 2026-05-07
  3. 3. Backup the current installation including pialert.conf and any custom configurations
  4. 4. Upgrade Pi.Alert to the version containing the fix (2026-05-07 or later release)
  5. 5. After upgrade, verify pialert.conf is no longer loaded via exec() or that input validation is now applied to config values
  6. 6. Optionally enable PIALERT_WEB_PROTECTION=true in pialert.conf for additional security (requires web authentication)
Caveat Review release notes for this specific version to check for any breaking changes or migration requirements

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-44888 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data