CVE-2026-44887: Unauthenticated RCE via Python Config File Injection in SaveConfigFile() (Path)

Synopsis

This is an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability in Pi.Alert, a WIFI/LAN intruder detector and web service monitor. The web-based configuration editor accepts arbitrary Python code that gets written into pialert.conf, which the background scan daemon then loads via Python's exec() call. Because web protection is disabled by default, a remote attacker with no credentials can reach the endpoint over the network and execute arbitrary code as the daemon process, achieving full system compromise. No fix version has been published upstream; HarborGuard tracks the advisory and will make a patched-image rebuild available the moment an upstream fix ships.

HarborGuard Coverage

Exploit Conditions

• Network reachabilityRequired

  The vulnerable configuration endpoint is exposed over the network, so an attacker must be able to reach the Pi.Alert web service via HTTP/HTTPS to deliver the payload.

• AuthenticationNot required

  Web protection is disabled in the default configuration, meaning no credentials of any privilege level are needed to access the configuration editor.

• Victim interactionNot required

  The attacker sends a crafted HTTP request directly to the server; no user action, click, or social engineering is required.

• Attack complexityDetail

  Exploit complexity is low, the attack is reliable and condition-free with no race conditions, memory layout dependencies, or environmental factors to overcome.

Blast Radius

• Attacker executes arbitrary code as the Pi.Alert background scan daemon process, gaining an interactive foothold on the host.
• Attacker reads any file accessible to the daemon, including stored network scan data, credentials, and configuration secrets on the host.
• Attacker modifies or deletes persisted configuration, scan history, and alert data managed by the daemon.
• Attacker crashes or permanently disrupts the Pi.Alert monitoring service, eliminating network intrusion detection coverage for the affected environment.