Detect GNU InetUtils Argument Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2026-24061) in Elastic Security
CVE-2026-24061 is an argument injection vulnerability (CWE-88) in GNU InetUtils affecting utilities such as telnet, ftp, rsh, rcp, and related tools. An attacker who can control arguments passed to InetUtils binaries may inject additional command-line options, potentially enabling unauthorized network access, privilege escalation, or lateral movement. This vulnerability is listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild.
MITRE ATT&CK
Elastic Detection Query
process where event.type == "start"
and process.name in ("telnet", "ftp", "rsh", "rcp", "rlogin", "tftp", "ping", "traceroute")
and (
process.args : ("-*=*", "*%0a*", "*%0d*", "*\\n*", "*\\r*")
or process.command_line : ("*; bash*", "*; sh*", "*; nc*", "*; curl*", "*; wget*", "*; python*", "*; perl*")
)EQL sequence detecting GNU InetUtils binaries launched with argument injection patterns indicative of CVE-2026-24061 exploitation, covering newline injection, option-value injection, and shell command chaining.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Automated FTP scripts using special characters in file paths or credentials
- Network monitoring utilities that pass diagnostic flags resembling injection patterns
- Security audit tools scanning for InetUtils argument handling weaknesses
Other platforms for CVE-2026-24061
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 3 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1InetUtils telnet argument injection via newline encoding
Expected signal: Auditd EXECVE record showing argv[1] containing a newline character followed by '-l root'; process event logs capturing the raw command-line string with embedded newline.
- Test 2InetUtils ftp option-value injection via concatenated argument
Expected signal: Process execution event showing ftp launched with argument '-o-p', captured by auditd EXECVE or EDR process telemetry.
- Test 3InetUtils rsh argument injection leading to shell spawning
Expected signal: Process launch event for rsh with semicolon-delimited command in arguments; potential child process event for shell spawned to execute 'id'; file creation event for /tmp/argus_injection_test.txt.
Unlock Pro Content
Get the full detection package for CVE-2026-24061 including response playbook, investigation guide, and atomic red team tests.