# CVE-2026-24712: Northern.tech CFEngine command injection in policy language

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-24712-northern-tech-cfengine-command-injection-in-policy-language  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-14. Updated: 2026-05-19  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-24712 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.3 · Published 2026-05-14

Northern.tech CFEngine is a configuration management tool used to automate the setup and maintenance of large-scale IT infrastructure. A vulnerability in the CFEngine policy language could allow an attacker with limited access to bypass security restrictions and execute unauthorized commands on managed systems. This could lead to a full system takeover if the software is configured to process data from untrusted external sources.

Technologies: [Northern.tech CFEngine Enterprise](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/cfengine-enterprise). Vendors: [Northern.tech](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/northern-tech).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-24712 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-24712 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-24712?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.3, published 14 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Northern.tech CFEngine Community before 3.21.8, 3.24.3, 3.27.0, Before 3.21.8, 3.24.3, 3.27.0; Northern.tech CFEngine Enterprise before 3.21.8, 3.24.3, 3.27.0, Before 3.21.8, 3.24.3, 3.27.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-24712?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-24712 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-24712?** Check whether you run Northern.tech CFEngine Community or Northern.tech CFEngine Enterprise at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A command injection vulnerability exists in the CFEngine policy language due to insufficient input sanitization when processing external data. While CFEngine is designed to execute commands via specific 'promise' types, this flaw allows shell commands to be injected into resource types where they are not expected, such as those managing users or packages. The vulnerability is not exploitable in default configurations; it requires a custom policy that processes data from an external source (e.g., a CMDB or API) without proper escaping. An attacker who can influence this external data can achieve arbitrary code execution on the CFEngine hub or managed hosts. The issue is resolved in versions 3.21.8, 3.24.3, and 3.27.0.

## Affected products

- Northern.tech CFEngine Enterprise Before 3.21.8, 3.24.3, 3.27.0
- Northern.tech CFEngine Community Before 3.21.8, 3.24.3, 3.27.0

## Timeline

- 2026-02-09: disclosed: Vendor blog post published detailing the vulnerability
- 2026-05-14: advisory: CVE published to NVD

## References

- [https://cfengine.com/blog/2026/cve-2026-24710-and-cve-2026-24711-and-cve-2026-24712/](https://cfengine.com/blog/2026/cve-2026-24710-and-cve-2026-24711-and-cve-2026-24712/)
- [https://northern.tech/](https://northern.tech/)

## Related threats

- [Northern.tech CFEngine Enterprise XSS in Mission Portal](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-33553-northern-tech-cfengine-enterprise-xss-in-mission-portal)
- [Northern.tech CFEngine Enterprise privilege escalation in Mission Portal](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-24711-northern-tech-cfengine-enterprise-privilege-escalation-in-mission)
- [Northern.tech CFEngine Enterprise Injection Vulnerabilities in Mission Portal](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-24710-northern-tech-cfengine-enterprise-injection-vulnerabilities-in)