Experts flag around 800,000 Telnet servers exposed to remote attacks - here's why users should be on their guard

An abstract image of digital security.

• Critical Telnet flaw (CVE-2026-24061) exposes 800,000 devices worldwide
• Attackers gain root access, attempt Python malware deployment after bypassing authentication
• Patch released; users urged to disable Telnet or block port 23

A major security vulnerability has been spotted in Telnet, an old remote-access tool, which is already being exploited on a fairly large scale, experts have warned.