CVE-2026-44709

HIGH
Published May 27, 2026 CWE-78

Description

pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media. Prior to 0.8.7, pamusb-pinentry reads the PINENTRY_FALLBACK_APP environment variable and executes it directly without any validation. Any process that can set environment variables before pamusb-pinentry is invoked can point PINENTRY_FALLBACK_APP at an arbitrary binary or script and have it executed with the privileges of the pam_usb tool chain. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.8.7.

CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8
HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-78 OS Command Injection

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-44709? +
pam_usb provides hardware authentication for Linux using ordinary removable media. Prior to 0.8.7, pamusb-pinentry reads the PINENTRY_FALLBACK_APP environment variable and executes it directly without any validation. Any process that can set environment variables before pamusb-pinentry is invoked can point PINENTRY_FALLBACK_APP at an arbitrary binary or script and have it executed with the privileges of the pam_usb tool chain. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.8.7. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2026-44709? +
CVE-2026-44709 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-44709? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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