CVE-2026-24061: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-pf97-p8ff-fj35
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-88
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-24061 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product constructs a string for a command to be executed by a separate component in another control sphere, but it does not properly delimit the intended arguments, options, or switches within that command string.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-24061 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-24061
GHSA Identifier GHSA-pf97-p8ff-fj35
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-24061

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-24061, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection'), where the product constructs a string for a command to be executed by a separate component in another control sphere, but it does not properly delimit the intended arguments, options, or switches within that command string. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

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

References

NVD — CVE-2026-24061 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-24061
codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils... WEB
https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/ccba9f748aa8d50a38d7748e2e60362edd6a32cc
codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils... WEB
https://codeberg.org/inetutils/inetutils/commit/fd702c02497b2f398e739e3119bed0b23dd7aa7b
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2026/01/msg00025.html
lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-in... WEB
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2026-01/msg00004.html
redteam.ae/blog/cve-2026-24061... WEB
https://redteam.ae/blog/cve-2026-24061-inetutils-telnetd-root-bypass
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vul... WEB
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-24061
www.gnu.org/software/inetutils WEB
https://www.gnu.org/software/inetutils
www.labs.greynoise.io/grimoire/2026-01-22... WEB
https://www.labs.greynoise.io/grimoire/2026-01-22-f-around-and-find-out-18-hours-of-unsolicited-houseguests/index.html
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/2#:~:text=root@...a%3A~%20USER='
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/20/8
www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-... WEB
https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-detection-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package
www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-... WEB
https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2026-24061-mitigation-script-remote-authentication-bypass-in-gnu-inetutils-package
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/01/22/1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-24061?
CVE-2026-24061 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection').
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-24061?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-24061?
CVE-2026-24061 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-24061?
CVE-2026-24061 is classified under CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection') (The product constructs a string for a command to be executed by a separate component in another control sphere, but it does not properly delimit the intended arguments, options, or switches within that command string.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-24061?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
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    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-01-21T07:16:01Z"
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}