High [CVE-2026-61898] Arbitrary code execution via shell injection
This high-severity Red Hat Linux advisory covers CVE-2026-61898.
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Summary
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. A flaw was found in accountsservice.
A local attacker can exploit this by injecting arbitrary shell commands into the user-controlled LANGUAGE entry in the ~/.pam_environment file. The Ubuntu-specific language helper scripts process this input unescaped, leading to arbitrary code execution with root privileges via the SetLanguage D-Bus method.
Red Hat products do not utilize these particular scripts, therefore, this flaw does not affect Red Hat Enterprise Linux or its supported derivatives. Red Hat severity: Important — CVSS 7.8 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Weakness: CWE-78. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 as not affected.
- < 23.13.9-8ubuntu7
- 23.13.9
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 12 days ago·verify at source
Fixed versions
No fixed release is recorded yet. That does not prove no patch exists — confirm against the vendor advisory.
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 12 days ago·verify at source
Mitigation
The source record does not include mitigation steps. That is not a statement that no fix exists — read the vendor advisory below for the authoritative guidance.
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 12 days ago·verify at source
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