Auth bypass in Systemd Systemd-Machined

CVE-2026-15060

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

Published · last modified .

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 4.7 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.

EPSS exploit prediction

EPSS: 0.001 (0.2th percentile), scored .

Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 0th percentile — 0.2% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.

EPSS trend (30 days)EPSS over the last 30 days for CVE-2026-15060: held from 0.001 to 0.001.

EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.001 · newest: 0.001 · change: 0.000

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-15060?
CVE-2026-15060 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Systemd Systemd-Machined, classified under Improper Access Control. CVSS score: 4.7/10. Published 2026-08-10.
How severe is CVE-2026-15060?
Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 4.7 out of 10.