CVE-2026-24061
CriticalActively exploited (CISA KEV)
Description
telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a "-f root" value for the USER environment variable.
SeverityCritical
CVSS9.8
Exploit probability100. percentile99%
Product
GNU InetUtils
PublishedJan 21, 2026
First seenJan 21, 2026
Added to KEVJan 26, 2026
Weakness typeCWE-88CWE-88
How to fix
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: Feb 16, 2026Affected products
| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| gnu inetutils | 1.9.3 ≤ v ≤ 2.7 | — |
| debian debian_linux | 11.0 | — |
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