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.
9.8
97.9%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Published
- Jan 21, 2026
- Modified
- Sep 30, 2026
- Added to KEV
- Jan 26, 2026
- Federal patch due
- Feb 16, 2026
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.
Weakness classification
Affected packages
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
8 foundWeaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2026-24061, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
- SafeBreach-Labs/CVE-2026-24061★ 208
Exploitation of CVE-2026-24061
updated Sep 11, 2026
- JayGLXR/CVE-2026-24061-POC★ 68
updated Sep 22, 2026
- ZeroDayEvil/CVE-2026-24061★ 22
updated Oct 1, 2026
- parameciumzhang/Tell-Me-Root★ 21
基于cve-2026-24061 telnet远程认证绕过漏洞的批量检测利用工具
updated Aug 29, 2026
- Lingzesec/CVE-2026-24061-GUI★ 17
CVE-2026-24061 GNU Inetutils telnetd 身份验证绕过漏洞检测与利用 GUI 工具
updated Jul 24, 2026
- ekomsSavior/telnet_scan★ 12
scanner/exploiter CVE-2026-24061 & CVE-2026-32746
updated Sep 12, 2026
- leonjza/inetutils-telnetd-auth-bypass★ 12
A small docker lab to play with cve-2026-24061, the inetutils-telnetd authentication bypass.
updated Jun 16, 2026
- Chocapikk/CVE-2026-24061★ 11
updated Oct 12, 2026
References
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 base score of 9.8 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2026-24061 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2026-24061 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Jan 26, 2026, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2026-24061?
97.9% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 97.9% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (100% percentile among all scored CVEs).
Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2026-24061?
We found 8 public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2026-24061, though none matched a known Nuclei template or Metasploit module at last check. Review each one before relying on it - see the proof-of-concept section above.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-24061?
CVE-2026-24061 is classified under CWE-88 (CWE-88 Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')).
Cross-checked against
Impactr finds and proves whether CVE-2026-24061 - or flaws like it - are actually reachable in your own web apps and APIs, with a reproducible exploit as evidence.
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