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Apache\Web server / proxy · Jdeguest

CVE-2026-5088

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 0.5.3 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Apache::API::Password versions through 0.5.2 for Perl can generate insecure random values for salts. The _make_salt and _make_salt_bcrypt methods will attept to load Crypt::URandom and then Bytes::Random::Secure to generate random bytes for the salt. If those modules are unavailable, it will simply return 16 bytes generated with Perl's built-in rand function. The rand function is unsuitable for cryptographic use. These salts are used for password hashing.

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 · high confidence

Apache::API::Password versions through 0.5.2 fall back to using Perl's insecure built-in rand() function for salt generation when Crypt::URandom or Bytes::Random::Secure modules are unavailable, making password hashing salts predictable and vulnerable to compromise.

MitigationEnsure Crypt::URandom or Bytes::Random::Secure Perl modules are installed in the environment, or upgrade to a patched version of Apache::API::Password that removes the insecure fallback.

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
Apache\Web server / proxy
Affected:< 0.5.3

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
None
Availability
None

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

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. Check Apache::API::Password version
    Run `perl -MApache::API::Password -e 'print $Apache::API::Password::VERSION'` or check via cpan/cpanm listing
    Affected if version is 0.5.2 or earlier (versions through 0.5.2 are affected)
  2. Verify Crypt::URandom module availability
    Run `perl -MCrypt::URandom -e 'print "installed"'`
    Affected if Crypt::URandom is NOT installed AND Apache::API::Password version is 0.5.2 or earlier (vulnerable fallback may be exercised)
  3. Verify Bytes::Random::Secure module availability
    Run `perl -MBytes::Random::Secure -e 'print "installed"'`
    Affected if Bytes::Random::Secure is NOT installed AND Apache::API::Password version is 0.5.2 or earlier (vulnerable fallback may be exercised)
  4. Inspect password hash salt generation behavior
    Review Apache::API::Password source code for rand() usage in salt generation logic, or test by generating multiple password hashes and comparing salt patterns
    Affected if rand()-based salts are being generated (predictable pattern across hashes indicates vulnerability is active)

User is affected if Apache::API::Password version is 0.5.2 or earlier AND neither Crypt::URandom nor Bytes::Random::Secure Perl modules are installed, causing predictable salt generation

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 0.5.3 or later
Fixed in 0.5.3
Interim mitigation

Ensure Crypt::URandom or Bytes::Random::Secure Perl modules are installed in the environment, or upgrade to a patched version of Apache::API::Password that removes the insecure fallback.

Recommended fix High confidence

0.5.3

  1. Update the Apache::API::Password Perl module to version 0.5.3 or later using your preferred Perl package manager (e.g., cpan Apache::API::Password or cpanm Apache::API::Password)
  2. Verify the installed version is 0.5.3 or later by running: perl -MApache::API::Password -e 'print $Apache::API::Password::VERSION'

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

Fix this in Apache\ Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,980
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,168.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2026-5088 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data