CVE-2026-24061

Name: CVE-2026-24061
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2026-01-21T07:16:01.597+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10Actively ExploitedEPSS 98.87%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2026-24061 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a "-f root" value for the USER environment variable.. CISA has confirmed active exploitation in the wild. EPSS estimates a 98.87% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

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

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

98.87%

99.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Exploitation Status

This vulnerability is listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies must remediate by Feb 16, 2026.

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-88

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Gnu	Inetutils	>= 1.9.3, <= 2.7
Debian	Debian Linux	11.0

References

https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/ccba9f748aa8d50a38d7748e2e60362edd6a32ccPatch
https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/fd702c02497b2f398e739e3119bed0b23dd7aa7bPatch
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2026-01/msg00004.htmlMitigation, Vendor Advisory
https://www.gnu.org/software/inetutils/Product
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2Mailing List
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/8Mailing List
https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-detection-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-packageThird Party Advisory
https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-mitigation-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-packageMitigation, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/22/1Mailing List
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2026/01/msg00025.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-24061US Government Resource
https://www.labs.greynoise.io/grimoire/2026-01-22-f-around-and-find-out-18-hours-of-unsolicited-houseguests/index.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2#:~:text=root@...a%3A~%20USER='Mailing List, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 21, 2026
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

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 score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 98.87% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

How do I fix CVE-2026-24061?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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Source: NVD / NIST