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.
Metrics
Affected Vendors & Products
References
History
Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:30:00 +0000
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ssvc
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Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:15:00 +0000
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threat_severity
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threat_severity
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Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000
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Canonical
Canonical accountsservice |
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| Vendors & Products |
Canonical
Canonical accountsservice |
Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:45:00 +0000
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| Description | 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. | |
| Title | accountsservice: shell injection via attacker-controlled ~/.pam_environment in Ubuntu language helper scripts | |
| Weaknesses | CWE-78 | |
| References |
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| Metrics |
cvssV3_1
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Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: canonical
Published: 2026-08-20T14:32:59.924Z
Updated: 2026-08-26T19:50:34.552Z
Reserved: 2026-07-11T18:43:51.251Z
Link: CVE-2026-61898
Updated: 2026-08-26T19:50:26.474Z
Status : Awaiting Analysis
Published: 2026-08-20T15:17:38.913
Modified: 2026-08-28T15:24:38.600
Link: CVE-2026-61898