CVE-2026-86060 — MikroTik RouterOS Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command Vulnerability
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)
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Public exploit/PoC (exploitdb, github)+14
- EPSS 6.4% (30-day exploitation probability)+14
- Technical severity (critical)+10
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented mitigation — cert.pl (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
CISA required action 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.
US federal deadline: Sep 13, 2026 — passed 33 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Mikrotik Routeros).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the documented mitigations until a definitive fix is available.
- EPSS ahead of 94% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (injection), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2 | CVSS 4.0 | Critical | — | — | cvd@cert.pl via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.2 | CVSS 4.0 | Critical | — | — | CERT-PL via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- cve-2026-86060 PoC ★ 55 Sep 22, 2026
- MikroTik RouterOS PoC Collection - CVE-2026-86060 - CVE-2026-67279 - CVE-2026-67276 RouterOS SSH ★ 3 Sep 25, 2026
- Mikrotik CVE-2026-86060 Score 9.2 Critical ★ 1 Sep 10, 2026
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 6.39%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Look for parameters with command/query metacharacters and unexpected child processes of the service.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Sep 10, 2026 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · mikrotik/routeros
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · mikrotik/routeros
- CVSS changed · 9.8
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
13 on the record
- mikrotik.com/supportsec/september-2026-vulnerability/
- cert.pl/en/posts/2026/09/vulnerabilities-in-mikrotik-routeros-actively-exploi
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- mikrotik.com/supportsec/september-2026-vulnerability
- forum.mikrotik.com/t/7-24-2-stable-is-released/272800
- npratley.net/reversing-mikrotiks-silent-patch-the-routeros-7-23-4-fix-they-wouldnt
- forum.mikrotik.com/t/6-49-21-long-term-is-released/272802
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86060
- cert.pl/en/posts/2026/09/mikrotik-routeros-cve
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-6425-cjxv-52gp
- forum.mikrotik.com/t/7-23-4-long-term-is-released/272801
- cert.pl/en/posts/2026/09/vulnerabilities-in-mikrotik-routeros-actively-exploi
- npratley.net/reversing-mikrotiks-silent-patch-the-routeros-7-23-4-fix-they-wouldnt
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-103903 MikroTik RouterOS WinBox split-principal authentication bypass allows privilege escalation 3d
- Critical CVE-2026-84411 MikroTik RouterOS Integer Underflow 13d
- High CVE-2026-93345 MikroTik RouterOS < 7.25beta4 Improper Input Validation DoS via BGP Labelled-VPN NLRI 23d
- High CVE-2026-89028 MikroTik RouterOS < 7.24 Heap Corruption via SMB1 SessionSetupAndX 29d
- Medium CVE-2026-56719 MikroTik RouterOS < 7.24 Out-of-Bounds Read via SMB1 SessionSetupAndX 29d
- Medium CVE-2026-89021 MikroTik RouterOS Path Traversal via Container OCI/tar Image Extraction Sep 14, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-86060 is "MikroTik RouterOS Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command Vulnerability", rated Critical. It affects Routeros (Mikrotik); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 9.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 6.39% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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