{"identifier":"CVE-2026-24061","cve":{"id":"CVE-2026-24061","description":"telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a \"-f root\" value for the USER environment variable.","published":"2026-01-21T07:16:01.597000+00:00","modified":"2026-09-30T11:47:02.427000+00:00","status":"Analyzed","score":9.8,"severity":"CRITICAL","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_version":"3.1","affected":[{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:a:gnu:inetutils:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"1.9.3","versionStartExcluding":"","versionEndIncluding":"2.7","versionEndExcluding":""},{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"","versionStartExcluding":"","versionEndIncluding":"","versionEndExcluding":""}],"weaknesses":["CWE-88"],"references":[{"url":"https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/ccba9f748aa8d50a38d7748e2e60362edd6a32cc","source":"cve@mitre.org","tags":["Patch"]},{"url":"https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/fd702c02497b2f398e739e3119bed0b23dd7aa7b","source":"cve@mitre.org","tags":["Patch"]},{"url":"https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2026-01/msg00004.html","source":"cve@mitre.org","tags":["Mitigation","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://redteam.ae/blog/cve-2026-24061-inetutils-telnetd-root-bypass","source":"cve@mitre.org","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.gnu.org/software/inetutils/","source":"cve@mitre.org","tags":["Product"]},{"url":"https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2","source":"cve@mitre.org","tags":["Mailing List"]},{"url":"https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/8","source":"cve@mitre.org","tags":["Mailing List"]},{"url":"https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-detection-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package","source":"cve@mitre.org","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-mitigation-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package","source":"cve@mitre.org","tags":["Mitigation","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/22/1","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108","tags":["Mailing List"]},{"url":"https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2026/01/msg00025.html","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-24061","source":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","tags":["US Government Resource"]},{"url":"https://www.labs.greynoise.io/grimoire/2026-01-22-f-around-and-find-out-18-hours-of-unsolicited-houseguests/index.html","source":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2#:~:text=root@...a%3A~%20USER='","source":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"]}],"kev":{"cveID":"CVE-2026-24061","vendorProject":"GNU","product":"InetUtils","vulnerabilityName":"GNU InetUtils Argument Injection Vulnerability","dateAdded":"2026-01-26","shortDescription":"GNU InetUtils contains an argument injection vulnerability in telnetd that could allow for remote authentication bypass via a \"-f root\" value for the USER environment variable.","requiredAction":"Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.","dueDate":"2026-02-16","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown","forensicTriage":"No","notes":"This vulnerability could affect an open-source component, third-party library, protocol, or proprietary implementation that could be used by different products. 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