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.
CVE-2026-61898
HIGHPre-NVD 7.87.8Trending — 3 sources updated this week
EchelonGraph scoreLOW confidence
This high-severity CVE scores 7.8 under the CNA's CVSS (NVD's own analysis pending). EPSS exploit-prediction score not yet available (the EPSS model rescores nightly; freshly-published CVEs typically appear within 48 hours). GitHub Security Advisory data not yet ingested — confidence will rise once GHSA publishes (typical lag: hours to days for open-source ecosystem CVEs; never for infrastructure-only CVEs).
Triggered by: NVD CVSS baseline
Sources: cna:canonical
7.8EG
EchelonGraph verdictPlan a fixSerious severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet.
- High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS PROB: —CVSS: 7.8Exploit: None knownExposed: 0
A fix is available — apply it.
- CVSS v3
- 7.8
- EG Score
- 7.8(low)
- EG Risk
- 40(Track)EG Risk 40/100SSVC: Track
EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).
How it’s computedSeverity78% × 45%Exploitation0% × 40%Automatability30% × 15%Action: Routine — remediate on your standard cadence. - EPSS PROB
- —
- EPSS %ILE
- —
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
August 20, 2026
Last Modified
August 20, 2026
Advisory Details (2)
Auto-updated Aug 20, 2026🔬 Proof of concept available. Patch available. Sources: ubuntu.
generic🟡 PoC Available
Bug #2157985 “SetLanguage leads to local privilege escalation an...” : Bugs : accountsservice package : Ubuntu
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/accountsservice/+bug/2157985Patch Availability(2)
| Vendor / Ecosystem | Fixed in / Patch | Released | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ubuntu | libaccountsservice0 (23.13.9-8ubuntu5.2) @ resolute | 2026-08-20 | ubuntu |
| ubuntu | libpam-pin (0.6.35-0ubuntu7.3+esm4) @ trusty | 2026-08-20 | ubuntu |
Patches are aggregated from vendor advisories (Red Hat, Microsoft, Cisco, GitHub) and package ecosystems (OSV, GHSA). Multiple rows for the same upstream release have been deduplicated.
Weakness Classification(1)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
All Vendor Advisories
(2)
Every vendor that published an advisory referencing this CVE — pulled from our cve_vendor_advisories aggregation. Click any row for the vendor's original advisory page.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 3× in last 7d / 3× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
- 2026-08-20 14:42 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-08-20 14:42 UTCVendor advisory
- 2026-08-20 14:41 UTCMITRE cvelistV5first tracked
Frequently asked(4)
What is CVE-2026-61898?
CVE-2026-61898 is a high vulnerability published on August 20, 2026. 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…
When was CVE-2026-61898 disclosed?
CVE-2026-61898 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on August 20, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-61898?
CVE-2026-61898 has a CVSS v4.0 base score of 7.8 (CNA self-assessment; NVD's own analysis pending). The EG score is currently aggregating — additional source signals are being incorporated as they become available..
How do I remediate CVE-2026-61898?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2026-61898, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.
Dependency Blast Radius
Explore the affected products and dependency analysis for CVE-2026-61898
Is Your Infrastructure Affected by CVE-2026-61898?
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