CVE-2026-28372Gnu Inetutils
NVDCVSS scored by cve@mitre.org
Vulnerability Summary
telnetd in GNU inetutils through 2.7 allows privilege escalation that can be exploited by abusing systemd service credentials support added to the login(1) implementation of util-linux in release 2.40. This is related to client control over the CREDENTIALS_DIRECTORY environment variable, and requires an unprivileged local user to create a login.noauth file.
CVSS v3.1 Base Metrics — Score 7.4 (HIGH)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HAttack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
Affected & Patched Versions
- Gnu Inetutils <= 2.7
No patched version published yet
Until a fix ships, reduce exposure:
- Restrict access to the affected service or interface to trusted networks.
- Disable the affected feature if you do not need it.
- Watch the vendor advisory for a firmware or software update.
What to do
Prioritize this fix. Exploit code is public, so attacks can follow quickly.
- Check whether you run Gnu Inetutils and which version.
- No patched version is listed yet. Limit access to the affected service to trusted networks, and disable the feature if you can.
- Subscribe to the vendor advisory so you learn when a fix ships.
- Review logs and exposed services for signs of earlier compromise.
Timeline
- Feb 27, 2026Published
- Mar 7, 2026Record last modified
Score, severity and exploitation changes are tracked from the day Watchtower started logging them.
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External References
- Patchhttps://git.hadrons.org/cgit/debian/pkgs/inetutils.git/commit/?id=3953943d8296310485f98963883a798545ab9a6c
- Exploithttps://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2026-02/msg00000.html
- Advisoryhttps://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2026-02/msg00012.html
- Advisoryhttps://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/02/24/1
- Advisoryhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/02/27/3
- Advisoryhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/03/06/2
- Advisoryhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/03/06/3
- Advisoryhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/03/07/1
- Advisoryhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/03/07/2
Data last checked: Nov 14, 2026 23:13 UTC