Critical Unpatched Telnetd Flaw (CVE-2026-32746) Enables Unauthenticated Root RCE via Port 23
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed a critical security flaw impacting the GNU InetUtils telnet daemon (telnetd) that could be exploited by an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-32746 , carries a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 10.0. It has been described as a case of out-of-bounds write in the LINEMODE Set Local Characters (SLC) suboption handler that results in a buffer overflow, ultimately paving the way for code execution. Israeli cybersecurity company Dream, which discovered and reported the flaw on March 11, 2026, said it affects all versions of the Telnet service implementation through 2.7. A fix for the vulnerability is expected to be available no later than April 1, 2026. "An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by sending a specially crafted message during the initial connection handshake — before any login prompt appears," Dream said in an alert. "Success...