---
id: CVE-2026-24061
title: >-
  telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a
  "-f root" value for the USER environment variable.
summary: >-
  telnetd in GNU Inetutils through 2.7 allows remote authentication bypass via a
  "-f root" value for the USER environment variable.
severity: critical
cvss: 9.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-88
vendor: gnu
product: inetutils
affected:
  - 'inetutils >= 1.9.3, <= 2.7'
  - debian_linux = 11.0
published: '2026-01-21'
updated: '2026-09-29'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-29T20:17:19.750'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-24061'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/ccba9f748aa8d50a38d7748e2e60362edd6a32cc
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: >-
      https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/fd702c02497b2f398e739e3119bed0b23dd7aa7b
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2026-01/msg00004.html'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'https://redteam.ae/blog/cve-2026-24061-inetutils-telnetd-root-bypass'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'https://www.gnu.org/software/inetutils/'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/8'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: >-
      https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-detection-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: >-
      https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-mitigation-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/22/1'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2026/01/msg00025.html'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: >-
      https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-24061
    label: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
  - url: >-
      https://www.labs.greynoise.io/grimoire/2026-01-22-f-around-and-find-out-18-hours-of-unsolicited-houseguests/index.html
    label: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
  - url: >-
      https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2#:~:text=root@...a%3A~%20USER='
    label: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - in-the-wild
  - exploit-available
  - kev
exploited: true
exploitAvailable: true
ssvc:
  exploitation: active
  automatable: 'yes'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-01-27T04:55:30.344896Z'
epss: 0.98984
epssPercentile: 0.99929
kev: true
kevDateAdded: '2026-01-26'
kevDueDate: '2026-02-16'
kevRansomware: false
exploits:
  exploitdb: true
  github: 72
  githubRepos:
    - 'https://github.com/jacubes/CVE-2026-24061'
    - 'https://github.com/SafeBreach-Labs/CVE-2026-24061'
    - 'https://github.com/JayGLXR/CVE-2026-24061-POC'
  metasploit:
    - exploit/linux/telnet/gnu_inetutils_auth_bypass
  checkedAt: '2026-09-29T20:46:41.292Z'
ingestedAt: '2026-09-29T20:46:06.407Z'
---

## Overview

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

## Affected

- `inetutils >= 1.9.3, <= 2.7`
- `debian_linux = 11.0`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.