CVE-2026-24061
CVE-2026-24061 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Gnu Inetutils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2026-01-26). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-88.
Key facts
- Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
- EPSS exploit prediction: 99% (100th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2026-01-26)
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-3688
- EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2026-01-26)
- Weakness: CWE-88
- Affected product: Gnu Inetutils
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a "-f root" value for the USER environment variable.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-24061?
- telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a "-f root" value for the USER environment variable.
- How severe is CVE-2026-24061?
- CVE-2026-24061 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2026-24061 being actively exploited?
- Yes. CVE-2026-24061 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2026-01-26, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
- What products are affected by CVE-2026-24061?
- CVE-2026-24061 primarily affects Gnu Inetutils. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-24061?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
- Does CVE-2026-24061 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2026-24061 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-3688. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2026-01-26).
- When was CVE-2026-24061 published?
- CVE-2026-24061 was published on 2026-01-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/ccba9f748aa8d50a38d7748e2e60362edd6a32cc
- https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/fd702c02497b2f398e739e3119bed0b23dd7aa7b
- https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2026-01/msg00004.html
- https://www.gnu.org/software/inetutils/
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/8
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-detection-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-mitigation-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/22/1
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2026/01/msg00025.html
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-24061
- https://www.labs.greynoise.io/grimoire/2026-01-22-f-around-and-find-out-18-hours-of-unsolicited-houseguests/index.html
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2#:~:[email protected]%3A~%20USER='
Affected products (2)
- cpe:2.3:a:gnu:inetutils:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
More vulnerabilities in Gnu Inetutils
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All CVEs affecting Gnu Inetutils →
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