CVE-2026-24061

GNU InetUtils authentication bypass, confirmed exploited in the wild.

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.

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99%chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS), 99th percentile

26 Janadded to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, 2026

16 Febfederal remediation deadline, already passed

Passedpast the deadline: patch now

CISA's name for it	GNU InetUtils Argument Injection Vulnerability
Vendor and product	GNU · InetUtils
Type	authentication bypass · CWE-88
Exploited	Confirmed by CISA listed 26 January 2026
Likelihood	one of the most likely to be exploited of every vulnerability tracked
Deadline	16 February 2026 · already passed
Used in ransomware	Not reported
Advisories	cgit.git.savannah.gnu.org ↗ · codeberg.org ↗ · codeberg.org ↗ · nvd.nist.gov ↗

What to do

Three steps, in this order

Step 1

Apply the vendor fix and restart the affected service.

Step 2

Put the login or management interface behind a VPN or allow-list; a bypass makes passwords irrelevant.

Step 3

Rotate credentials and session keys the product holds, and review accounts and configuration changes since the listing date.

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.

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Questions

CVE-2026-24061 in short

Is CVE-2026-24061 being exploited?

Yes. CISA added CVE-2026-24061 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 26 January 2026, which it does only on evidence of exploitation in the wild.

What is the CISA deadline for CVE-2026-24061?

US federal agencies must remediate it by 16 February 2026. Everyone else should treat that date as the latest safe point to patch an internet-facing system.

How likely is CVE-2026-24061 to be exploited in the next 30 days?

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System gives it 99%, the 99th percentile of every CVE it scores.

How do I fix CVE-2026-24061?

Apply the vendor fix and restart the affected service. Put the login or management interface behind a VPN or allow-list; a bypass makes passwords irrelevant. Rotate credentials and session keys the product holds, and review accounts and configuration changes since the listing date.

Sources: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue (released 10 November 2026) and FIRST EPSS. Page compiled automatically by SAK T.L.M, the threat-intelligence tool of SAK T.E.C, on 13 November 2026.