CVE-2026-61898
Received Received - Intake

Privilege Escalation via Malicious LANGUAGE in AccountsService

Publication date: 2026-08-20

Last updated on: 2026-08-20

Assigner: Canonical Ltd.

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.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-20
Last Modified
2026-08-20
Generated
2026-08-20
AI Q&A
2026-08-20
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-61898
EUVD
EUVD-2026-63380

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
ubuntu accountsservice to 23.13.9-8ubuntu7 (exc)

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-78 The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a shell injection flaw in Ubuntu's AccountsService helper scripts (save-to-pam-env, update-langlist). It occurs because user-controlled input from ~/.pam_environment is treated as trusted and interpolated into a sed replacement expression without proper escaping. This allows attackers to inject sed 'e' flags and execute arbitrary shell commands with root privileges via the SetLanguage D-Bus method.

Detection Guidance

Check if the vulnerable version of accountsservice is installed by running: dpkg -l accountsservice. If installed, verify if the scripts save-to-pam-env or update-langlist exist in /usr/lib/accountsservice/. Inspect ~/.pam_environment for suspicious LANGUAGE entries that may contain shell commands.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges to root by manipulating the LANGUAGE entry in ~/.pam_environment. Successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise, unauthorized data access, or installation of malicious software on affected Ubuntu systems.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local privilege escalation to root via shell injection in Ubuntu systems. For compliance with GDPR, it could lead to unauthorized access to personal data if an attacker gains root access. HIPAA compliance may be affected if the system handles protected health information, as unauthorized root access could compromise data integrity and confidentiality.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the accountsservice package immediately using: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade accountsservice. Alternatively, enable Ubuntu Pro for extended security coverage. Remove or sanitize any untrusted entries in ~/.pam_environment.

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