Critical severity · published Sep 5, 2026
CVE-2026-86060
SSH session privilege manipulation via a crafted username in Mikrotik RouterOS
In wildKEV
9.8
CVSS
6.4%
EPSS
Yes
On KEV
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)
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)6.4% · higher than 94% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildYes
CISA KEVListed Sep 10, 2026
Federal remediation dueSep 13, 2026
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
RO
RouterOS · Mikrotik
7.24 before 7.24.2; 7.0.0 before 7.23.4; 6.0.0 before 6.49.21 · source: vendor, NVD, KEV
In the news
VulnerabilityHigh
MikroTrick Chain Let Attackers Take Over MikroTik Routers Without a Password or SSH Key
Two MikroTik RouterOS SSH vulnerabilities chained together let attackers take full administrative control of Internet-exposed routers without a password, SSH key, or completed authentication.
The chain, which CERT Polska calls MikroTrick, combines an SSH state-machine flaw (CVE-2026-67279) with an argument-injection bug in the RouterOS login process (CVE-2026-86060). Attack logs date to at
Sep 23, 2026·The Hacker News
AdvisoryHigh
CISA Adds Two Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog
CISA has added two new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog , based on evidence of active exploitation.
CVE-2026-67277 MikroTik RouterOS Missing Authentication for Critical Function Vulnerability
CVE-2026-86060 MikroTik RouterOS Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command Vulnerability
These types of vulnerabilities are a frequent attack vector for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise.
Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 26-04: Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk establishes vulnerability management requirements for Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies. BOD 26-04 reinforces the importance of the KEV Catalog and requires federal agencies to prioritize rapid remediation of high-risk vulnerabilities, specifically those identified by Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) listed in CISA’s KEV Catalog on publicly exposed assets that grant total control of the asset post-exploitation, while deferring action for lower-risk vulnerabilities. BOD 26-04 further establishes basic expectations for when agencies must check whether threat actors compromised the system before the patch was applied.
While BOD 26-04 applies only to FCEB agencies, CISA encourages all organizations to adopt risk-based vulnerability management and prioritize remediation of KEV Catalog vulnerabilities . CISA will continue to add vulnerabilities to the catalog that meet the specifi...
Sep 10, 2026·CISA Advisories
VulnerabilityHigh
[CISA KEV] CVE-2026-86060: MikroTik RouterOS - MikroTik RouterOS Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command Vulnerability
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.
RORouterOSCVE-2026-86060
Sep 10, 2026·CISA KEV
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86060
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-86060
CISA KEV catalogue
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
third-party-advisory
https://cert.pl/en/posts/2026/09/mikrotik-routeros-cve
technical-description
https://cert.pl/en/posts/2026/09/vulnerabilities-in-mikrotik-routeros-actively-exploited/
exploit
https://npratley.net/reversing-mikrotiks-silent-patch-the-routeros-7-23-4-fix-they-wouldnt-explain/
vendor-advisory
https://mikrotik.com/supportsec/september-2026-vulnerability/
release-notes
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
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