# CVE-2026-15060: systemd-machined: unprivileged users can terminate arbitrary processes

> Unprivileged desktop users can terminate arbitrary privileged processes via systemd-machined due to missing authorization checks.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 10 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 10 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-15060, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-15060

## What is CVE-2026-15060?

CVE-2026-15060 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in systemd-machined, published on 10 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

When systemd-machined >= v259 (or v258 with a custom `polkit` policy that allows `register-machine` access) is running on a desktop system, an unprivileged user logged in a desktop graphical session can kill arbitrary processes, even privileged ones.

- versions older than v259 are not affected, unless unprivileged access is granted for the `register-machine` polkit action via a local, custom policy config file
- versions older than v258 are not affected
- unrelated to the systemd service manager (pid 1 or user session managers)
- systemd-machined is not typically installed by default, and is typically in an optional, separate package (e.g.: systemd-container)
- terminal-only or remote sessions (e.g.: ssh) are not affected

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-15060?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-15060?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-15060 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-15060 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-15060 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-15060 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in systemd-machined, published on 10 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-15060 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: systemd-machined. 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-2026-15060/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15060/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-15060
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-15060
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-15060

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-15060/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.