CVE-2026-61898

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.

CVSS 3.1

7.8CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS

0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days; higher than 8% of CVEs (scores of 2026-10-25)

CWE

CWE-78

Published

2026-08-20

Modified

2026-10-18

Record from

the NVD, synced 2026-10-19

References

• https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/accountsservice/+bug/2157985
• https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-61898

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