November 13, 2026 Follow Egret
CVE-2026-24061 · CVE record: PUBLISHED

GNU InetUtils Argument Injection Vulnerability

GNU Inetutils

telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a "-f root" value for the USER environment variable.

Exploitation evidence

Known exploited · CISA KEV listed

Added 2026-01-26. Ransomware campaign use: Unknown.

CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

CISA due date: 2026-02-16. This is the catalog’s deadline, not an assessment of your organization’s exposure.

KEV checked 13 Nov 2026, 00:20 Jerusalem · Original catalog ↗

Reported products and versions

GNU / Inetutils

Default status: unknown

  • affected: 1.9.3 to ≤ 2.7 (custom)

Fixes and workarounds

No explicit solution text in the downloaded CVE record. Consult the vendor advisory; unaffected version ranges are shown above as reported, not inferred as a patch recommendation.

Sources and related reporting

CVE Program record ↗ · Download tracked evidence as JSON

Observed change timeline

History begins when Egret first downloads each source. It is not the complete upstream CVE history.

12 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-12",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.99931
}
10 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-10",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.9993
}
09 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-09",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.9993
}
08 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-08",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.9993
}
07 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-07",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.9993
}
06 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-06",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.99929
}
06 Nov 2026, 06:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-05",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.99929
}
04 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-04",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.99929
}
03 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-03",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.9993
}
03 Nov 2026, 12:20 Jerusalem · CVE Program record changed

Stored CNA snapshot at this observation.

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2026-24061",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "active"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "yes"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-01-27T04:55:30.344896Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          },
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "dateAdded": "2026-01-26",
                "reference": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-24061"
              },
              "type": "kev"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-03-25T13:31:53.588Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "tags": [
              "exploit"
            ],
            "url": "https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2#:~:text=root@...a%3A~%20USER='"
          },
          {
            "tags": [
              "third-party-advisory"
            ],
            "url": "https://www.labs.greynoise.io/grimoire/2026-01-22-f-around-and-find-out-18-hours-of-unsolicited-houseguests/index.html"
          },
          {
            "tags": [
              "government-resource"
            ],
            "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-24061"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      },
      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-01-25T00:15:44.959Z",
          "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
          "shortName": "CVE"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/22/1"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2026/01/msg00025.html"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unknown",
          "product": "Inetutils",
          "vendor": "GNU",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "2.7",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "1.9.3",
              "versionType": "custom"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:gnu:inetutils:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndIncluding": "2.7",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "1.9.3",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a \"-f root\" value for the USER environment variable."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "baseScore": 9.8,
            "baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
            "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "format": "CVSS",
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "GENERAL"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-88",
              "description": "CWE-88 Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-09-29T19:43:14.235Z",
        "orgId": "8254265b-2729-46b6-b9e3-3dfca2d5bfca",
        "shortName": "mitre"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/8"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.gnu.org/software/inetutils/"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2026-01/msg00004.html"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/fd702c02497b2f398e739e3119bed0b23dd7aa7b"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/ccba9f748aa8d50a38d7748e2e60362edd6a32cc"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-detection-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-mitigation-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://redteam.ae/blog/cve-2026-24061-inetutils-telnetd-root-bypass"
        }
      ],
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "CVE-Request-form 0.0.1"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "8254265b-2729-46b6-b9e3-3dfca2d5bfca",
    "assignerShortName": "mitre",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-24061",
    "datePublished": "2026-01-21T06:42:17.134Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-01-21T06:42:16.865Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-09-29T19:43:14.235Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}
03 Nov 2026, 02:22 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-02",
  "epss": 0.98984,
  "percentile": 0.9993
}
03 Nov 2026, 02:22 Jerusalem · CISA KEV status changed

Stored KEV snapshot at this observation.

{
  "cveID": "CVE-2026-24061",
  "cwes": [
    "CWE-88"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-01-26",
  "dueDate": "2026-02-16",
  "forensicTriage": "No",
  "knownRansomwareCampaignUse": "Unknown",
  "notes": "This vulnerability could affect an open-source component, third-party library, protocol, or proprietary implementation that could be used by different products. For more information, please see: https://cgit.git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/inetutils.git ; https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/ccba9f748aa8d50a38d7748e2e60362edd6a32cc; https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/fd702c02497b2f398e739e3119bed0b23dd7aa7b ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-24061",
  "product": "InetUtils",
  "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.",
  "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.",
  "vendorProject": "GNU",
  "vulnerabilityName": "GNU InetUtils Argument Injection Vulnerability"
}
Egret — Back to top Egret