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HashcatApplication

CVE-2026-42482

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-01
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A stack-based buffer overflow in mangle_to_hex_lower() and mangle_to_hex_upper() in src/rp_cpu.c in hashcat v7.1.2 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted rule file, or via the -j or -k rule options used with password candidates of 128 or more characters. The vulnerability is caused by a bounds check that fails to account for the 2x expansion that occurs when password bytes are converted to hexadecimal.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

A stack-based buffer overflow exists in hashcat v7.1.2's mangle_to_hex_lower() and mangle_to_hex_upper() functions in src/rp_cpu.c. The vulnerability stems from a bounds check that fails to account for the 2x expansion when converting password bytes to hexadecimal. Attackers can trigger the overflow via crafted rule files or the -j/-k rule options with password candidates of 128 or more characters, potentially leading to denial of service or arbitrary code execution.

MitigationRestrict the use of untrusted rule files and avoid passing password candidates of 128 or more characters to the -j or -k rule options until a patched version of hashcat is available. Alternatively, upgrade to a patched version of hashcat once released.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
HashcatApplication
Affected:= 7.1.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed hashcat version
    Run 'hashcat --version' or check the binary metadata to confirm the exact version number
    Affected if The version is 7.1.2 specifically (only this version is listed as affected)
  2. Check for rule file usage
    Review command lines or scripts that invoke hashcat for the presence of the -r flag pointing to custom rule files
    Affected if Untrusted or crafted rule files are being used with hashcat -r
  3. Check for -j or -k rule options
    Review hashcat command lines for -j (single rule) or -k (double rule) parameters that apply inline rules
    Affected if The -j or -k rule options are being used to process passwords
  4. Identify password input length
    Inspect the source of password candidates (wordlists, masks, or generated inputs) to determine if any exceed 128 characters in length
    Affected if Password candidates being processed are 128 or more characters in length when using rule-based manipulation

You are affected if running hashcat version 7.1.2 AND using rule-based password manipulation (-r, -j, or -k options) with passwords of 128+ characters or untrusted rule files.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Restrict the use of untrusted rule files and avoid passing password candidates of 128 or more characters to the -j or -k rule options until a patched version of hashcat is available. Alternatively, upgrade to a patched version of hashcat once released.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Hashcat 7.2.0 or latest stable release

  1. 1. Download the latest stable version of Hashcat from the official GitHub repository (github.com/hashcat/hashcat)
  2. 2. Verify the release notes for version 7.2.0 or later to confirm the vulnerability in src/rp_cpu.c is addressed
  3. 3. Backup your current Hashcat installation and any custom rule files
  4. 4. Extract the new version to replace the existing installation
  5. 5. Test your rule files and workflows with the new version before production use
  6. 6. Ensure password candidates are validated to be under 128 characters as a defense-in-depth measure
Caveat Rule file syntax remains compatible; verify custom rules work with new version before production deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Hashcat Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-42482 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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