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.
Advisories
| Source | ID | Title |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu USN |
USN-8580-1 | AccountsService vulnerabilities |
Ubuntu USN |
USN-8580-2 | AccountsService vulnerabilities |
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| First Time appeared |
Canonical
Canonical accountsservice |
|
| Vendors & Products |
Canonical
Canonical accountsservice |
Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| |
| Metrics |
cvssV3_1
|
Projects
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Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: canonical
Published:
Updated: 2026-08-20T14:32:59.924Z
Reserved: 2026-07-11T18:43:51.251Z
Link: CVE-2026-61898
No data.
Status : Received
Published: 2026-08-20T15:17:38.913
Modified: 2026-08-20T15:17:38.913
Link: CVE-2026-61898
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-08-20T15:45:03Z
Weaknesses
Ubuntu USN