CVE-2026-72693: Kbd: local privilege escalation in openvt via incorrect process owner verification allowing passwordless root login
CSIRTS triage
- What
- Incorrect process owner verification in openvt allows local attacker to gain passwordless root login.
- Who is affected
- Systems with kbd package where openvt is accessible to unprivileged users.
- Urgency
- High severity (CVSS 7.8); not exploited; direct privilege escalation to root.
- Action
- Apply patch fixing process owner verification in openvt immediately.
AI-assisted analysis generated from the source advisory — verify against the original.
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Details
Original advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72693
Exploitation outlook
EPSS (FIRST.org) estimates each CVE’s probability of exploitation in the next 30 days — here is the CSIRTS.com read on those numbers.
- Low exploitation riskCVE-2026-726930.11% 30-day exploitation probability — currently an unlikely target, but scores change as exploit code circulates. Riskier than 1% of all EPSS-scored CVEs.
Referenced CVEs
| CVE | CSIRTS overview | External |
|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-72693 | coverage & exploitation status | NVD · CVE.org |
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