CVE-2026-61898 is a vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux
Published on August 20, 2026
accountsservice: shell injection via attacker-controlled ~/.pam_environment in Ubuntu language helper scripts
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.
Weakness Type
What is a Shell injection Vulnerability?
The software constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.
CVE-2026-61898 has been classified to as a Shell injection vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-61898
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Affected Versions
Canonical accountsservice:- Version 22.07.5-2ubuntu1 and below 22.07.5-2ubuntu1.6 is affected.
- Version 23.13.9-2ubuntu6 and below 23.13.9-2ubuntu6.1 is affected.
- Version 23.13.9-8ubuntu5 and below 23.13.9-8ubuntu5.2 is affected.
- Version 23.13.9-8ubuntu6 and below 23.13.9-8ubuntu7 is affected.