CVE-2026-86060: MikroTik RouterOS Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command Vulnerability
- Is it exploited?
Yes. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on , 5 days after the CVE record was published.
- How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?
- 6.4%
EPSS score, percentile 93.6 of all scored records
- How severe?
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS v4.0 base score, given by the CNA
- What should I do?
CISA deadline . Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions … Full text
- Which versions are affected?
Affected
- from 7.24 to before 7.24.2
- from 7.0.0 to before 7.23.4
- from 6.0.0 to before 6.49.21
Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of ; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of ; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of . About the data.
What to do
Required action, set by CISA
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.
CISA due date for this action: .
Advisories and patches
Linked from CISA's catalog entry
- https://mikrotik.com/supportsec/september-2026-vulnerability
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86060
Affected products and versions
As listed in the CVE record.
| Status | Versions |
|---|---|
| Affected | from 7.24 to before 7.24.2 |
| Affected | from 7.0.0 to before 7.23.4 |
| Affected | from 6.0.0 to before 6.49.21 |
Versions not listed are: unaffected.
Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of . About the data.
About this 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.
Summary: CISA's KEV catalog, as of .
- CISA added CVE-2026-86060 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 10 Sep 2026.
- CISA's ransomware flag for this entry is "Unknown": no evidence of ransomware use in the catalog, which is not proof of none.
- The due date CISA sets for the required action is 13 Sep 2026.
- The CVE record was published on 5 Sep 2026, 5 days before it was added to KEV.
- The CVE record carries a CVSS v4.0 base score of 9.2 (Critical), given by its CNA.
- FIRST's EPSS model puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 6.4% (percentile 93.6), as of 28 Oct 2026.
- CISA's SSVC assessment in the CVE record: exploitation active, automatable yes, technical impact total.
Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of ; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of ; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of . About the data.
Description
SSH session privilege manipulation via a crafted username in Mikrotik RouterOS
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)
Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of . About the data.
Weakness
- CWE-88: Improper neutralization of argument delimiters in a command ('argument injection')
CWE and CAPEC are maintained by MITRE; the entries are those named in the CVE record and the KEV entry.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| CVE record published | |
| Added to CISA KEV | |
| CVE record last updated | |
| CISA due date for the required action |
References
More exploited MikroTik vulnerabilities
- CVE-2026-67279: Mikrotik RouterOS Improper Enforcement of Behavioral Workflow Vulnerability
- CVE-2026-67277: MikroTik RouterOS Missing Authentication for Critical Function Vulnerability
- CVE-2018-7445: MikroTik RouterOS Stack-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
- CVE-2018-14847: MikroTik Router OS Directory Traversal Vulnerability