diff --git a/python/lib/cloudutils/configFileOps.py b/python/lib/cloudutils/configFileOps.py
index c061071b96e..f4d704af783 100644
--- a/python/lib/cloudutils/configFileOps.py
+++ b/python/lib/cloudutils/configFileOps.py
@@ -68,14 +68,14 @@ class configFileOps:
                 for entry in self.entries:
                     if entry.op == "add":
                         if entry.separator == "=":
-                            matchString = "^\ *" + entry.name + ".*"
+                            matchString = r"^\ *" + entry.name + ".*"
                         elif entry.separator == " ":
-                            matchString = "^\ *" + entry.name + "\ *" + entry.value
+                            matchString = r"^\ *" + entry.name + r"\ *" + entry.value
                     else:
                         if entry.separator == "=":
-                            matchString = "^\ *" + entry.name + "\ *=\ *" + entry.value
+                            matchString = r"^\ *" + entry.name + r"\ *=\ *" + entry.value
                         else:
-                            matchString = "^\ *" + entry.name + "\ *" + entry.value
+                            matchString = r"^\ *" + entry.name + r"\ *" + entry.value
 
                     match = re.match(matchString, line)
                     if match is not None:
diff --git a/python/lib/cloudutils/networkConfig.py b/python/lib/cloudutils/networkConfig.py
index ac51f92aa58..827664bbc73 100644
--- a/python/lib/cloudutils/networkConfig.py
+++ b/python/lib/cloudutils/networkConfig.py
@@ -45,8 +45,11 @@ class networkConfig:
         if not cmd.isSuccess():
             logging.debug("Failed to get default route")
             raise CloudRuntimeException("Failed to get default route")
-
-        result = cmd.getStdout().split(" ")
+        output = cmd.getStdout().strip()
+        result = output.split(" ")
+        if len(result) < 2:
+            logging.debug("Output for the default route incomplete: %s. It should have been '<GATEWAY> <DEVICE>'" % output)
+            raise CloudRuntimeException("Output for the default route incomplete")
         gateway = result[0]
         dev = result[1]
 
@@ -150,10 +153,10 @@ class networkConfig:
             if line.find("HWaddr") != -1:
                 macAddr = line.split("HWaddr ")[1].strip(" ")
             elif line.find("inet ") != -1:
-                m = re.search("addr:(.*)\ *Bcast:(.*)\ *Mask:(.*)", line)
+                m = re.search(r"addr:([^\s]+)\s*Bcast:([^\s]+)\s*Mask:([^\s]+)", line)
                 if m is not None:
-                    ipAddr = m.group(1).rstrip(" ")
-                    netmask = m.group(3).rstrip(" ")
+                    ipAddr = m.group(1).strip()
+                    netmask = m.group(3).strip()
 
         if networkConfig.isBridgePort(dev):
             type = "brport"
diff --git a/python/lib/cloudutils/utilities.py b/python/lib/cloudutils/utilities.py
index ce50516193e..95044de5558 100755
--- a/python/lib/cloudutils/utilities.py
+++ b/python/lib/cloudutils/utilities.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class bash:
         return self.stdout.decode('utf-8').strip('\n')
 
     def getLines(self):
-        return self.stdout.decode('utf-8').strip('\n')
+        return self.stdout.decode('utf-8').strip('\n').split('\n')
 
     def getStderr(self):
         return self.stderr.decode('utf-8').strip('\n')