MikroTik RouterOS: security flaw used in attacks
OFFICIAL NAME: Mikrotik RouterOS Improper Enforcement of Behavioral Workflow Vulnerability
WHAT IT IS · ROUTERS, CAMERAS AND DEVICESRouters, cameras and recorders are often forgotten and rarely updated.
DO THIS FIRSTUpdate it or replace it. Never leave its admin page open to the internet. Not sure if you use it? Send this page to your IT provider or security lead and ask.
TECHNICAL SUMMARY Mikrotik RouterOS contains an improper enforcement of behavioral workflow vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated client to open a session channel and send an exec request. This vulnerability can be chained to achieve unauthenticated exploitation of CVE-2026-86060.
WHY THIS VERDICT Attacks are confirmed. The vulnerability is 66 days old, so many systems are likely still unpatched.
WHY IT RANKS HERE Exploitation is confirmed by an authoritative source.
- HIGHEST CONFIRMED RUNG
- EXPLOITED
- CISA KEV
- LISTED
- EXPLOIT CODE
- PROOF OF CONCEPT CLAIMED
How far has it climbed?
01 TALK
▨ REPORTED, NOT CONFIRMEDNEWEST EVIDENCE · 1 SOURCECVE-2026-67279 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting). CVE-2026-67279 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting).
02 EXPOSED
□ NOT TRACKED YETNO SOURCE FOR THIS STEP YETWe have no source that counts exposed systems yet. Internet scan data needs a partnership we do not have. No evidence here does not mean nothing is exposed.
03 TRIED
■ CONFIRMEDNEWEST EVIDENCE · 2 INDEPENDENT SOURCESAttacks that worked are confirmed (step 4), so attempts count as confirmed too.
04 EXPLOITED
■ CONFIRMEDNEWEST EVIDENCE · 2 INDEPENDENT SOURCESMikrotik RouterOS contains an improper enforcement of behavioral workflow vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated client to open a session channel and send an exec request. This vulnerability can be chained to achieve unauthenticated exploitation of CVE-2026-86060. CISA Vulnrichment marks CVE-2026-67279 as actively exploited.
05 DAMAGE
□ NOT TRACKED YETNO SOURCE FOR THIS STEP YETBreach notices and filings rarely name the flaw that was used, so we cannot link them to this event yet. No evidence here does not mean no harm.
When each thing happened
- DISCLOSED
- EXPLOIT CODE PUBLICCLAIMED
- FIRST ATTACK REPORT
- CISA KEV LISTING
- US FEDERAL DEADLINE
THE FIX
CISA's instruction: apply the vendor's fix, or stop using the product if no fix exists. The deadline CISA set for US federal agencies, Sep 28, 2026, has passed. It is a US government deadline; use it as a guide.
Questions to ask this week
- Do we run MikroTik RouterOS? If yes, is it patched or cut off from the internet?
- Who owns fixing it, and by what date?
- Have we checked for signs of attack since the first report, not just since the patch?
How it unfolded
- Attack activity. SEP 5, 2026CISA Vulnrichment marks CVE-2026-67279 as actively exploited
- Attack activity. SEP 24, 2026Mikrotik RouterOS Improper Enforcement of Behavioral Workflow Vulnerability
- SEP 25, 20264 public GitHub repositories claim a proof of concept for CVE-2026-67279
- OCT 24, 2026CVE-2026-67279 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting) (2 reports)
SOURCES
- [1] CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup sightings: CVE-2026-67279 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting), OCT 24
- [2] PoC-in-GitHub: 4 public GitHub repositories claim a proof of concept for CVE-2026-67279, SEP 25
- [3] CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities: Mikrotik RouterOS Improper Enforcement of Behavioral Workflow Vulnerability, SEP 24
- [4] CVE List V5 and CISA Vulnrichment: CISA Vulnrichment marks CVE-2026-67279 as actively exploited, SEP 5
- [5] CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup sightings: 1 more reports