CVE-2026-61897
HIGHDescription
An Ubuntu-specific patch to AccountsService before 23.13.9-8ubuntu7 only partially drops privileges before launching language helper scripts. It changes the effective UID/GID to the target user but leaves the real UID as 0 (root). A shell spawned by a helper script inherits ruid=0 and may reset its effective UID to root, enabling local privilege escalation.
How to fix
This Ubuntu release reached end-of-life on 2023-05-31. Extended security maintenance is available until 2028-04-01.
This Ubuntu release reached end-of-life on 2025-05-31. Extended security maintenance is available until 2030-04-02.
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 1% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-273 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2011-2921 | Critical | 9.8 | 83% | - | - |
| CVE-2024-38813 | High | 7.5 | 17% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2017-6972 | Critical | 9.8 | 15% | - | - |
| CVE-2015-0278 | High | 10.0 | 3.2% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2019-18276 | High | 7.8 | 2.6% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2021-36372 | Critical | 9.8 | 2.5% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-61897?
Published advisories record a fix for 2 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2026-61897 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-61897 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.10% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 1% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-61897?
CVE-2026-61897 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2026-61897 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for accountsservice (Ubuntu), libaccountsservice0 (Ubuntu). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-08-28.