# CVE-2026-61897

## Summary

- **CVE ID:** CVE-2026-61897
- **Severity:** HIGH
- **CVSS Score:** 7.8 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
- **CWE:** CWE-273
- **Published:** Aug 20, 2026
- **Last Modified:** Aug 26, 2026

## Description

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.

## Affected Products

- Canonical — accountsservice (22.07.5-2ubuntu1)
- Canonical — accountsservice (23.13.9-2ubuntu6)
- Canonical — accountsservice (23.13.9-8ubuntu5)
- Canonical — accountsservice (23.13.9-8ubuntu6)

## References

- [CNA](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/accountsservice/+bug/2157985)
- [CNA](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-61897)

## Exploitation Prediction (EPSS)

- **EPSS Score:** 0.10%
- **EPSS Percentile:** 0.8

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_Exported from OnDuty AI Vulnerability Intelligence on 2026-09-11._