# CVE-2023-26604: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges to root via systemctl status if sudoers allow it and less is not secured.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** ALSA-2023:3837, CLSA-2023-1679350239, CLSA-2023-1679350567, CLSA-2023-1688678794, CLSA-2023-1698690423, CLSA-2024-1711562715, CLSA-2026-1777378650, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-26604, DLA-3377-1, GHSA-8989-8fhv-vq42, OESA-2023-1166, OESA-2023-1167, RHSA-2023:3837, RHSA-2024:7705, RLSA-2023:3837, SUSE-SU-2023:1622-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-26604

## What is CVE-2023-26604?

CVE-2023-26604 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 3 Mar 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official 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.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-26604?

It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `systemd` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-container` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-devel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-journal-remote` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-libs` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-pam` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-tests` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-udev` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-container` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-container-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-journal-remote` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-journal-remote-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-libs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-pam` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-pam-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-tests` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-tests-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-udev` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd-udev-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `libgudev1` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `libgudev1-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd-devel` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd-journal-gateway` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd-libs` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd-networkd` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd-python` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd-resolved` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd-sysv` | Red Hat:rhel_els:7 | All versions | 0:219-78.el7_9.11 |
| `systemd` | Rocky Linux:8 | All versions | 0:239-74.el8_8.2 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 228-157.52.1 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 228-157.52.1 |
| `systemd` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 228-157.52.1 |

Products: Debian Debian Linux, Systemd Project Systemd.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-26604?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2023-26604 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-26604 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-26604 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-26604 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 3 Mar 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-26604 exists.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26604/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26604/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-26604
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-26604
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-26604

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26604/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.