{"api_version":"1","generated_at":"2026-08-21T21:42:31+00:00","cve":"CVE-2026-61898","urls":{"html":"https://cve.report/CVE-2026-61898","api":"https://cve.report/api/cve/CVE-2026-61898.json","docs":"https://cve.report/api","cve_org":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-61898","nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61898"},"summary":{"title":"accountsservice: shell injection via attacker-controlled ~/.pam_environment in Ubuntu language helper scripts","description":"The Ubuntu-specific language helper scripts (save-to-pam-env, update-langlist) shipped with accountsservice before 23.13.9-8ubuntu7 treat the user-controlled LANGUAGE entry in ~/.pam_environment as trusted input. The value is interpolated unescaped into a GNU sed replacement expression, allowing an attacker to inject a sed 'e' flag and arbitrary shell commands that execute with the privileges of the AccountsService helper process (real UID 0) via the SetLanguage D-Bus method.","state":"PUBLISHED","assigner":"canonical","published_at":"2026-08-20 15:17:38","updated_at":"2026-08-20 15:17:38"},"problem_types":["CWE-78","CWE-78 CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')"],"metrics":[{"version":"3.1","source":"security@ubuntu.com","type":"Secondary","score":"7.8","severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","data":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","baseScore":7.8,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","attackVector":"LOCAL","attackComplexity":"LOW","privilegesRequired":"LOW","userInteraction":"NONE","scope":"UNCHANGED","confidentialityImpact":"HIGH","integrityImpact":"HIGH","availabilityImpact":"HIGH"}},{"version":"3.1","source":"CNA","type":"DECLARED","score":"7.8","severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","data":{"baseScore":7.8,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","version":"3.1"}}],"references":[{"url":"https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/accountsservice/+bug/2157985","name":"https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/accountsservice/+bug/2157985","refsource":"security@ubuntu.com","tags":[],"title":"","mime":"","httpstatus":"","archivestatus":"0"},{"url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-61898","name":"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-61898","refsource":"security@ubuntu.com","tags":[],"title":"","mime":"","httpstatus":"","archivestatus":"0"},{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-61898","name":"CVE Program record","refsource":"CVE.ORG","tags":["canonical"]},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61898","name":"NVD vulnerability detail","refsource":"NVD","tags":["canonical","analysis"]}],"affected":[{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Canonical","product":"accountsservice","version":"affected 22.07.5-2ubuntu1 22.07.5-2ubuntu1.6 dpkg","platforms":["Ubuntu 14.04 LTS","Ubuntu 16.04 LTS","Ubuntu 18.04 LTS","Ubuntu 20.04 LTS","Ubuntu 22.04 LTS","Ubuntu 24.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.10"]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Canonical","product":"accountsservice","version":"affected 23.13.9-2ubuntu6 23.13.9-2ubuntu6.1 dpkg","platforms":["Ubuntu 14.04 LTS","Ubuntu 16.04 LTS","Ubuntu 18.04 LTS","Ubuntu 20.04 LTS","Ubuntu 22.04 LTS","Ubuntu 24.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.10"]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Canonical","product":"accountsservice","version":"affected 23.13.9-8ubuntu5 23.13.9-8ubuntu5.2 dpkg","platforms":["Ubuntu 14.04 LTS","Ubuntu 16.04 LTS","Ubuntu 18.04 LTS","Ubuntu 20.04 LTS","Ubuntu 22.04 LTS","Ubuntu 24.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.10"]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Canonical","product":"accountsservice","version":"affected 23.13.9-8ubuntu6 23.13.9-8ubuntu7 dpkg","platforms":["Ubuntu 14.04 LTS","Ubuntu 16.04 LTS","Ubuntu 18.04 LTS","Ubuntu 20.04 LTS","Ubuntu 22.04 LTS","Ubuntu 24.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.10"]}],"timeline":[],"solutions":[],"workarounds":[],"exploits":[],"credits":[{"source":"CNA","value":"Deutsche Telekom Security GmbH Red Team","lang":"en"}],"nvd_cpes":[],"vendor_comments":[],"enrichments":{"kev":null,"epss":null,"legacy_qids":[]},"source_records":{"cve_program":{"containers":{"cna":{"affected":[{"defaultStatus":"unaffected","packageName":"accountsservice","platforms":["Ubuntu 14.04 LTS","Ubuntu 16.04 LTS","Ubuntu 18.04 LTS","Ubuntu 20.04 LTS","Ubuntu 22.04 LTS","Ubuntu 24.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.04 LTS","Ubuntu 26.10"],"product":"accountsservice","vendor":"Canonical","versions":[{"lessThan":"22.07.5-2ubuntu1.6","status":"affected","version":"22.07.5-2ubuntu1","versionType":"dpkg"},{"lessThan":"23.13.9-2ubuntu6.1","status":"affected","version":"23.13.9-2ubuntu6","versionType":"dpkg"},{"lessThan":"23.13.9-8ubuntu5.2","status":"affected","version":"23.13.9-8ubuntu5","versionType":"dpkg"},{"lessThan":"23.13.9-8ubuntu7","status":"affected","version":"23.13.9-8ubuntu6","versionType":"dpkg"}]}],"credits":[{"lang":"en","type":"finder","value":"Deutsche Telekom Security GmbH Red Team"}],"descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"The Ubuntu-specific language helper scripts (save-to-pam-env, update-langlist) shipped with accountsservice before 23.13.9-8ubuntu7 treat the user-controlled LANGUAGE entry in ~/.pam_environment as trusted input. The value is interpolated unescaped into a GNU sed replacement expression, allowing an attacker to inject a sed 'e' flag and arbitrary shell commands that execute with the privileges of the AccountsService helper process (real UID 0) via the SetLanguage D-Bus method."}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"baseScore":7.8,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","version":"3.1"}}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-78","description":"CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')","lang":"en","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"dateUpdated":"2026-08-20T14:32:59.924Z","orgId":"cc1ad9ee-3454-478d-9317-d3e869d708bc","shortName":"canonical"},"references":[{"name":"Launchpad Bug #2157985","tags":["issue-tracking"],"url":"https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/accountsservice/+bug/2157985"},{"name":"Ubuntu CVE Tracker","tags":["vendor-advisory"],"url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-61898"}],"title":"accountsservice: shell injection via attacker-controlled ~/.pam_environment in Ubuntu language helper scripts"}},"cveMetadata":{"assignerOrgId":"cc1ad9ee-3454-478d-9317-d3e869d708bc","assignerShortName":"canonical","cveId":"CVE-2026-61898","datePublished":"2026-08-20T14:32:59.924Z","dateReserved":"2026-07-11T18:43:51.251Z","dateUpdated":"2026-08-20T14:32:59.924Z","state":"PUBLISHED"},"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2"},"nvd":{"publishedDate":"2026-08-20 15:17:38","lastModifiedDate":"2026-08-20 15:17:38","problem_types":["CWE-78","CWE-78 CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')"],"metrics":{"cvssMetricV31":[{"source":"security@ubuntu.com","type":"Secondary","cvssData":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","baseScore":7.8,"baseSeverity":"HIGH","attackVector":"LOCAL","attackComplexity":"LOW","privilegesRequired":"LOW","userInteraction":"NONE","scope":"UNCHANGED","confidentialityImpact":"HIGH","integrityImpact":"HIGH","availabilityImpact":"HIGH"},"exploitabilityScore":1.8,"impactScore":5.9}]},"configurations":[]},"legacy_mitre":{"record":{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"61898","Ordinal":"1","Title":"accountsservice: shell injection via attacker-controlled ~/.pam_","CVE":"CVE-2026-61898","Year":"2026"},"notes":[{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"61898","Ordinal":"1","NoteData":"The Ubuntu-specific language helper scripts (save-to-pam-env, update-langlist) shipped with accountsservice before 23.13.9-8ubuntu7 treat the user-controlled LANGUAGE entry in ~/.pam_environment as trusted input. The value is interpolated unescaped into a GNU sed replacement expression, allowing an attacker to inject a sed 'e' flag and arbitrary shell commands that execute with the privileges of the AccountsService helper process (real UID 0) via the SetLanguage D-Bus method.","Type":"Description","Title":"accountsservice: shell injection via attacker-controlled ~/.pam_"}]}}}