CVE-2026-90457 Weak cryptography in Malcolm
Weak password hashing and insecure file permissions allow local attackers to recover administrative credentials via offline computation.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-90457?
CVE-2026-90457 is a medium-severity vulnerability in CISA Malcolm, published on 11 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The administrative password is hashed using a comparatively weak, fast algorithm for the credential store backing one authentication path, and the file containing that hash is written with permissions allowing it to be read by any local user. This is inconsistent with a separate, stronger hashing algorithm used for the same password on another authentication path. A party able to read this file, including a local user or a party with access to a configuration backup, could feasibly recover the underlying password through offline computation, compromising the administrative credential across every path that accepts it.
Weakness: CWE-916
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-90457?
How do I fix CVE-2026-90457?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-90457 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-90457 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-90457 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-r5jf-jfmr-83g3.