CVEs / CVE-2026-86060
CVE-2026-86060: MikroTik RouterOS Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command Vulnerability
- Known exploited in the CISA KEV catalog since 10 Sep 2026
- critical 9.8 CVSS 3.1 (NVD)
- EPSS 6.39% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 93% of CVEs (30 Oct 2026)
- Last changed at its sources
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Summary
MikroTik RouterOS contains an improper neutralization of argument delimiters in a command vulnerability which allows an attacker to change the trusted RouterOS policy mask, leading to privilege escalation.
Description
RouterOS contains an argument-handling flaw in the SSH login path involving usernames that begin with a prohibited character, allowing for the trusted RouterOS policy mask to be changed, leading to privilege escalation. Exploitation requires an unauthenticated SSH session to reach the RouterOS login helper.This issue was fixed in versions: 6.49.21 (Long-term), 7.23.4 (Long-term) and 7.24.2 (Stable)
Affected and fixed versions
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Mikrotik RouterOS | from 7.24, before 7.24.2 | 7.24.2 |
| Mikrotik RouterOS | from 7.0.0, before 7.23.4 | 7.23.4 |
| Mikrotik RouterOS | from 6.0.0, before 6.49.21 | 6.49.21 |
Exploitation
| In CISA KEV since | 10 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Due date for US federal agencies | 13 Sep 2026 |
| Used in ransomware campaigns | Unknown |
| Required action | Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines. |
Severity
| CVSS 3.1 | 9.8 criticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HScored by NVD |
|---|---|
| Weakness | CWE-88 |
References
- CVE-2026-86060 on NVD
- CVE-2026-86060 in the CISA KEV catalog
- https://mikrotik.com/supportsec/september-2026-vulnerability (cited by CISA)
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk (cited by CISA)
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk (cited by CISA)
- https://cert.pl/en/posts/2026/09/mikrotik-routeros-cve Third Party Advisory
- https://cert.pl/en/posts/2026/09/vulnerabilities-in-mikrotik-routeros-actively-exploited/ Mitigation, Third Party Advisory
- https://forum.mikrotik.com/t/6-49-21-long-term-is-released/272802 Release Notes
- https://forum.mikrotik.com/t/7-23-4-long-term-is-released/272801 Release Notes
- https://forum.mikrotik.com/t/7-24-2-stable-is-released/272800 Release Notes
- https://mikrotik.com/supportsec/september-2026-vulnerability/ Vendor Advisory
- https://npratley.net/reversing-mikrotiks-silent-patch-the-routeros-7-23-4-fix-they-wouldnt-explain/ Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-86060 US Government Resource
Sources
Exploitation status from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS scores from FIRST. Descriptions, severity and references from the National Vulnerability Database. Open-source package versions from OSV (CC-BY 4.0). Text is shown as each source states it; Stackurity does not edit it. Check the vendor's advisory before acting.
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.