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 Ubuntu USN USN-8580-1 AccountsService vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8580-2 AccountsService vulnerabilities
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

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

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}


Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: canonical

Published:

Updated: 2026-08-20T14:32:59.924Z

Reserved: 2026-07-11T18:43:51.251Z

Link: CVE-2026-61898

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-08-20T15:17:38.913

Modified: 2026-08-20T15:17:38.913

Link: CVE-2026-61898

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-08-20T21:15:05Z

Weaknesses