CVE-2026-86060
Mikrotik RouterOS
Published 5 Sept 2026 · updated 11 Sept 2026 · Analyzed
Exploited in the wild
CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 10 Sept 2026, with a remediation deadline of 13 Sept 2026 for US federal agencies.
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.
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)
References
- cert.pl/en/posts/2026/09/mikrotik-routeros-cve · Third Party Advisory
- cert.pl/en/posts/2026/09/vulnerabilities-in-mikrotik-routeros-actively-exploited/ · Mitigation, Third Party Advisory
- forum.mikrotik.com/t/6-49-21-long-term-is-released/272802 · Release Notes
- forum.mikrotik.com/t/7-23-4-long-term-is-released/272801 · Release Notes
- forum.mikrotik.com/t/7-24-2-stable-is-released/272800 · Release Notes
- mikrotik.com/supportsec/september-2026-vulnerability/ · Vendor Advisory
- npratley.net/reversing-mikrotiks-silent-patch-the-routeros-7-23-4-fix-they-wouldnt-explain/ · Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-86060 · US Government Resource