CVE-2011-0997

CVE-2011-0997 is a critical vulnerability affecting ISC DHCP client versions 3.0.x through 4.2.x, 3.1-ESV, and 4.1-ESV, including those used in Canonical and Debian Linux distributions. This flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands by injecting shell metacharacters into a hostname received via a DHCP message, which is then processed by the dhclient-script. With a CVSS score of 7.5, it presents a high severity risk due to its network-based attack vector, low attack complexity, and potential for complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. While there is no evidence of active exploitation in the wild or publicly available exploit code, the vulnerability has garnered significant community discussion and media coverage, indicating its perceived importance.