CVE-2026-24061
CVE-2026-24061 is a security flaw in GNU InetUtils. Attackers can get into GNU InetUtils without a valid password. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 26 Jan 2026.[1]
GNU InetUtils is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. GNU has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an argument injection in GNU InetUtils. In its words: “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.”[1]
The underlying weakness is CWE-88, in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]
It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by the organisation that published the CVE using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; GNU’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as GNU InetUtils.
Most families won’t have GNU InetUtils; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 26 Jan 2026, 5 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 16 Feb 2026 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 99%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
GNU has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s 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.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.GNU InetUtils is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 16 Feb 2026 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 99%.[4] |
See also
Other GNU flaws
- CVE-2014-6278, GNU Bash: bash OS command injection ·
- CVE-2023-4911, GNU C Library: c library buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2014-7169, GNU Bourne-Again Shell (Bash): arbitrary code execution ·
- CVE-2014-6271, GNU Bourne-Again Shell (Bash): arbitrary code execution ·
Similar flaws
- CVE-2026-86060, MikroTik RouterOS: improper neutralization of argument delimiters in a command ·
- CVE-2024-41710, Mitel SIP Phones: argument injection ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2026-23760, SmarterTools SmarterMail: authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel ·
- CVE-2026-21509, Microsoft Office: security feature bypass ·
- CVE-2025-52691, SmarterTools SmarterMail: unrestricted upload of file with dangerous type ·
- CVE-2018-14634, Linux Kernel: integer overflow ·
Every GNU flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in January 2026
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “GNU InetUtils Argument Injection Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 26 Jan 2026.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2026-24061 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 21 Jan 2026.
- ^ GNU. Advisories and fixes: cgit.git.savannah.gnu.org, codeberg.org, codeberg.org, lists.gnu.org, vicarius.io.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.990, percentile 99.9, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2026-24061”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.