CVE-2023-26604
systemd before 247 does not adequately block local privilege escalation for some Sudo configurations, e.g., plausible sudoers files in which the "systemctl status" command may be executed.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (1.05%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
systemd before 247 does not adequately block local privilege escalation for some Sudo configurations, e.g., plausible sudoers files in which the "systemctl status" command may be executed. Specifically, systemd does not set LESSSECURE to 1, and thus other programs may be launched from the less program. This presents a substantial security risk when running systemctl from Sudo, because less executes as root when the terminal size is too small to show the complete systemctl output.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 1.05% probability · 63th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-269
- Affected
- debian/debian linux · systemd project/systemd
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 1.1% since 7 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174130/systemd-246-Local-Root-Privilege-Escalation.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://blog.compass-security.com/2012/10/dangerous-sudoers-entries-part-2-insecure-functionality/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/systemd/systemd/blob/main/NEWS#L4335-L4340Release Notes
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/03/msg00032.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://medium.com/%40zenmoviefornotification/saidov-maxim-cve-2023-26604-c1232a526ba7Third Party Advisory
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230505-0009/Third Party Advisory
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174130/systemd-246-Local-Root-Privilege-Escalation.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://blog.compass-security.com/2012/10/dangerous-sudoers-entries-part-2-insecure-functionality/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/systemd/systemd/blob/main/NEWS#L4335-L4340Release Notes
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/03/msg00032.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://medium.com/%40zenmoviefornotification/saidov-maxim-cve-2023-26604-c1232a526ba7Third Party Advisory
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230505-0009/Third Party Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.