{"id":"UBUNTU-CVE-2026-61898","details":"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.","modified":"2026-09-02T19:36:26.869314937Z","published":"2026-07-21T16:00:00Z","related":["USN-8580-1","USN-8580-2"],"upstream":["CVE-2026-61898"],"references":[{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-61898"},{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-61898"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8580-1"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8580-2"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"accountsservice","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/accountsservice?arch=source&distro=esm-infra-legacy%2Ftrusty"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm4"}]}],"versions":["0.6.34-0ubuntu6","0.6.34-0ubuntu7","0.6.35-0ubuntu1","0.6.35-0ubuntu2","0.6.35-0ubuntu3","0.6.35-0ubuntu4","0.6.35-0ubuntu5","0.6.35-0ubuntu6","0.6.35-0ubuntu7","0.6.35-0ubuntu7.1","0.6.35-0ubuntu7.2","0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3","0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm2","0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm3"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_version":"0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm4","binary_name":"accountsservice"},{"binary_version":"0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm4","binary_name":"gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0"},{"binary_name":"libaccountsservice0","binary_version":"0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm4"},{"binary_version":"0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm4","binary_name":"libpam-pin"}],"availability":"Available with Ubuntu Pro with Legacy support add-on: https://ubuntu.com/pro","priority_reason":"Local privilege escalation issue"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2026/UBUNTU-CVE-2026-61898.json"}},{"package":{"name":"accountsservice","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/accountsservice?arch=source&distro=esm-infra-legacy%2Fxenial"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6+esm2"}]}],"versions":["0.6.40-2ubuntu5","0.6.40-2ubuntu6","0.6.40-2ubuntu7","0.6.40-2ubuntu8","0.6.40-2ubuntu9","0.6.40-2ubuntu10","0.6.40-2ubuntu11","0.6.40-2ubuntu11.1","0.6.40-2ubuntu11.2","0.6.40-2ubuntu11.3","0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6","0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6+esm1"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_name":"accountsservice","binary_version":"0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6+esm2"},{"binary_name":"gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0","binary_version":"0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6+esm2"},{"binary_name":"libaccountsservice0","binary_version":"0.6.40-2ubuntu11.6+esm2"}],"availability":"Available with Ubuntu Pro with Legacy support add-on: https://ubuntu.com/pro","priority_reason":"Local privilege escalation issue"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2026/UBUNTU-CVE-2026-61898.json"}},{"package":{"name":"accountsservice","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/accountsservice?arch=source&distro=esm-infra%2Fbionic"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3+esm2"}]}],"versions":["0.6.42-0ubuntu3","0.6.42-0ubuntu4","0.6.45-1ubuntu1","0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3","0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3+esm1"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_name":"accountsservice","binary_version":"0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3+esm2"},{"binary_name":"gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0","binary_version":"0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3+esm2"},{"binary_name":"libaccountsservice0","binary_version":"0.6.45-1ubuntu1.3+esm2"}],"availability":"Available with Ubuntu Pro (Infra-only): https://ubuntu.com/pro","priority_reason":"Local privilege escalation issue"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2026/UBUNTU-CVE-2026-61898.json"}},{"package":{"name":"accountsservice","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/accountsservice?arch=source&distro=esm-infra%2Ffocal"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.7+esm1"}]}],"versions":["0.6.55-0ubuntu10","0.6.55-0ubuntu11","0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.1","0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.2","0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.4","0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.5","0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.6","0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.7"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_name":"accountsservice","binary_version":"0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.7+esm1"},{"binary_name":"gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0","binary_version":"0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.7+esm1"},{"binary_name":"libaccountsservice0","binary_version":"0.6.55-0ubuntu12~20.04.7+esm1"}],"availability":"Available with Ubuntu Pro (Infra-only): https://ubuntu.com/pro","priority_reason":"Local privilege escalation issue"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2026/UBUNTU-CVE-2026-61898.json"}},{"package":{"name":"accountsservice","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:22.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/accountsservice?arch=source&distro=jammy"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"22.07.5-2ubuntu1.6"}]}],"versions":["0.6.55-0ubuntu14","0.6.55-3ubuntu1","0.6.55-3ubuntu2","0.6.55-3ubuntu4","0.6.55-3ubuntu5","0.6.55-3ubuntu6","22.07.5-2ubuntu1","22.07.5-2ubuntu1.3","22.07.5-2ubuntu1.4","22.07.5-2ubuntu1.5"],"ecosystem_specific":{"availability":"No subscription required","priority_reason":"Local privilege escalation issue","binaries":[{"binary_name":"accountsservice","binary_version":"22.07.5-2ubuntu1.6"},{"binary_name":"gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0","binary_version":"22.07.5-2ubuntu1.6"},{"binary_name":"libaccountsservice0","binary_version":"22.07.5-2ubuntu1.6"}]},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2026/UBUNTU-CVE-2026-61898.json"}},{"package":{"name":"accountsservice","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:24.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/accountsservice?arch=source&distro=noble"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"23.13.9-2ubuntu6.1"}]}],"versions":["23.13.9-2ubuntu2","23.13.9-2ubuntu4","23.13.9-2ubuntu6"],"ecosystem_specific":{"priority_reason":"Local privilege escalation issue","binaries":[{"binary_name":"accountsservice","binary_version":"23.13.9-2ubuntu6.1"},{"binary_version":"23.13.9-2ubuntu6.1","binary_name":"gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0"},{"binary_name":"libaccountsservice0","binary_version":"23.13.9-2ubuntu6.1"}],"availability":"No subscription required"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2026/UBUNTU-CVE-2026-61898.json"}},{"package":{"name":"accountsservice","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:26.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/accountsservice?arch=source&distro=resolute"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"23.13.9-8ubuntu5.2"}]}],"versions":["23.13.9-7ubuntu1","23.13.9-8ubuntu1","23.13.9-8ubuntu2","23.13.9-8ubuntu4","23.13.9-8ubuntu5","23.13.9-8ubuntu5.1"],"ecosystem_specific":{"priority_reason":"Local privilege escalation issue","binaries":[{"binary_name":"accountsservice","binary_version":"23.13.9-8ubuntu5.2"},{"binary_name":"gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0","binary_version":"23.13.9-8ubuntu5.2"},{"binary_version":"23.13.9-8ubuntu5.2","binary_name":"libaccountsservice0"}],"availability":"No subscription required"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2026/UBUNTU-CVE-2026-61898.json"}}],"schema_version":"1.9.0","severity":[{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},{"type":"Ubuntu","score":"high"}]}