Crypt::PasswdMD5 versions through 1.42 for Perl generates insecure random values for salts
RSAVAGE · Crypt::PasswdMD5
7.5HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 7 days
High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
Patch available
Distribution package intelligence
Ubuntu vendor package status
Canonical’s release and source-package findings are shown separately from local repository availability.
1 package state
Repository candidate not checked
A published vendor fix does not prove that a matching update is enabled and installable on a particular asset. Confirm the local package candidate before scheduling remediation.
Ubuntu release
Source package
Vendor state
Fixed version
Evidence
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSnoble · standard archive
libcrypt-passwdmd5-perl
Under evaluationCanonical reports that the package might be affected and still needs evaluation or fixing.
Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.
1 current
CVE-2026-6659 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product SecurityCrypt::PasswdMD5: Perl: Crypt::PasswdMD5: Weak cryptographic salts due to predictable random number generation
324 known affected
The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.
perl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-Attribute-Handlers as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-AutoLoader as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-AutoSplit as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-B as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-Benchmark as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-Class-Struct as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-Config-Extensions as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-DBM_Filter as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-Devel-Peek as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-Devel-SelfStubber as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
perl-DirHandle as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Summary
A flaw was found in Crypt::PasswdMD5 for Perl. This component generates insecure random values for cryptographic salts, which are used to strengthen password hashes. The built-in `rand` function, used for generating these salts, is predictable and not suitable for cryptographic purposes. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to more easily crack password hashes, potentially leading to unauthorized access or information disclosure.
Remediation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.
Optional official sources
National CERT insights ?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.
Select the national-authority views to include. The exact source language is shown on each matched advisory. Your choice is remembered on this device and encoded in the shareable URL.
Official European source
ENISA European Vulnerability Database
Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.
1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier
EUVD-2026-28809
No EUVD known-exploited evidence
ENISA has published the identifier mapping but no EUVD description has been stored yet.
EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
Not supplied in the stored EUVD record
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days
High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
Patch available
01
What, why and how
Crypt::PasswdMD5 versions through 1.42 for Perl generates insecure random values for salts.
The built-in rand function is predictable, and unsuitable for cryptography.
What
Crypt::PasswdMD5 versions through 1.42 for Perl generates insecure random values for salts.
The built-in rand function is predictable, and unsuitable for cryptography.
Why
The product uses a Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG) in a security context, but the PRNG's algorithm is not cryptographically strong.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
What
Crypt::PasswdMD5 versions through 1.42 for Perl generates insecure random values for salts.
The built-in rand function is predictable, and unsuitable for cryptography.
Why
The product uses a Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG) in a security context, but the PRNG's algorithm is not cryptographically strong.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation ?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No confirmed evidence
No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material ?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.None recorded
No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
Likely attack path
a network path → Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG) → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness ?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-338: Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG). The product uses a Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG) in a security context, but the PRNG's algorithm is not cryptographically strong.
CVSS vector ?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-338
A
Official authority intelligence
Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-28809Official EUVD mapping
0 linked advisory records.
Official EUVD recordBSI · German · WID-SEC-2026-2503Znuny: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen Offenlegung von Informationen
Ein entfernter, anonymer oder authentisierter Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Znuny ausnutzen, um Informationen offenzulegen.
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
Status ?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
perl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Attribute-Handlers as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-AutoLoader as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-AutoSplit as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-B as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Benchmark as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Class-Struct as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Config-Extensions as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-DBM_Filter as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Devel-Peek as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Devel-SelfStubber as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-DirHandle as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Dumpvalue as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-DynaLoader as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-English as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Errno as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-ExtUtils-Constant as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-ExtUtils-Embed as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-ExtUtils-Miniperl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Fcntl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Basename as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Compare as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Copy as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-DosGlob as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Find as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-stat as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-FileCache as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-FileHandle as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-FindBin as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-GDBM_File as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; and 294 more
Fixed
Upgrade to version 1.43 or later.
Action
Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 8 May 2026 · Last source change 26 May 2026, 22:52 UTC · CWE-338 · Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG)
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCISA ADP
EPSS source ?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-28809
Product sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD not scheduled
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
Before
perl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Attribute-Handlers as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-AutoLoader as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-AutoSplit as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-B as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Benchmark as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Class-Struct as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Config-Extensions as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-DBM_Filter as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Devel-Peek as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Devel-SelfStubber as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-DirHandle as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Dumpvalue as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-DynaLoader as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-English as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Errno as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-ExtUtils-Constant as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-ExtUtils-Embed as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-ExtUtils-Miniperl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Fcntl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Basename as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Compare as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Copy as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-DosGlob as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Find as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-stat as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-FileCache as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-FileHandle as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-FindBin as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-GDBM_File as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; and 293 more
After
perl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Attribute-Handlers as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-AutoLoader as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-AutoSplit as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-B as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Benchmark as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Class-Struct as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Config-Extensions as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-DBM_Filter as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Devel-Peek as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Devel-SelfStubber as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-DirHandle as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Dumpvalue as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-DynaLoader as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-English as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Errno as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-ExtUtils-Constant as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-ExtUtils-Embed as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-ExtUtils-Miniperl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-Fcntl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Basename as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Compare as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Copy as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-DosGlob as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-Find as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-File-stat as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-FileCache as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-FileHandle as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-FindBin as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; perl-GDBM_File as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; and 294 more
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
CVE-2026-6659: Crypt::PasswdMD5 versions through 1.42 for Perl generates insecure random values for salts | BlackTree
