CVE-2026-24061
KEVGNU InetUtils Argument Injection Vulnerability
Description
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.
telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a "-f root" value for the USER environment variable.
CVSS 3.1 vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HPublishedJan 21, 2026
Last modifiedSep 30, 2026
Added to KEVJan 26, 2026
Remediation dueFeb 16, 2026
References
- codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/ccba9f748aa8d50a38d7748e2e60362edd6a32ccPatch
- codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/fd702c02497b2f398e739e3119bed0b23dd7aa7bPatch
- lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2026-01/msg00004.htmlMitigationVendor Advisory
- redteam.ae/blog/cve-2026-24061-inetutils-telnetd-root-bypassExploitThird Party Advisory
- gnu.org/software/inetutils/Product
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2Mailing List
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/8Mailing List
- vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-detection-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-packageThird Party Advisory
- vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-mitigation-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-packageMitigationThird Party Advisory
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/22/1Mailing List
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2026/01/msg00025.htmlMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-24061US Government Resource
0 recent articles mention this CVE
89
Risk assessment · Critical
Actively exploited. Patch immediately.
- Exploitation
- Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Federal remediation deadline
- Overdue by 253 days
- CVSS
- 9.8 CRITICAL
- EPSS (30-day exploit probability)
- 99.0% · top 1% of all CVEs
- Weakness
- CWE-88
- Attack vector
- Network, remotely reachable
- Preconditions
- No privileges and no user interaction
Recommended actions
- 1.Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- 2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
- 3.Review exposure: confirm which instances are reachable from the internet and restrict access until patched.
- 4.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.
Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.