Strongman
CVE-2026-25998
HIGH
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain database access
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ExploitRetrieve encrypted credential fields
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ExecutionExploit identical IV reuse
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ImpactRecover plaintext credentials via XOR analysis
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A04:2025 - Cryptographic Failures
ASVS 5.0
V11 - Cryptography Nonce/key pair uniqueness
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Attacker must have direct read access to strongMan's database containing encrypted private keys and EAP secrets. No authentication to strongMan application required, only database file access. |
| Impact | CVSS 7.5 (HIGH). Attack vector: Network. Complexity: Low. Privileges required: None. User interaction: None. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the affected system. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026
strongMan's credential encryption uses a static initialization vector with AES-CTR mode, causing all database fields to be encrypted with identical key streams. An attacker with database access can leverage publicly stored certificates to derive the key stream and decrypt stored private keys and EAP secrets. No patch is currently available for this high-severity vulnerability affecting strongSwan management deployments.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
strongMan is a management interface for strongSwan, an OpenSource IPsec-based VPN. When storing credentials in the database (private keys, EAP secrets), strongMan encrypts the corresponding database fields. [CVSS 7.5 HIGH]
RemediationAI
Monitor vendor advisories for a patch. Restrict network access to the affected service where possible.
Affects your stack
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Technical ContextAI · show details
Affects Strongman. strongMan is a management interface for strongSwan, an OpenSource IPsec-based VPN. When storing credentials in the database (private keys, EAP secrets), strongMan encrypts the corresponding database fields. So far it used AES in CTR mode with a global database key. Together with an initialization vector (IV), a key stream is generated to encrypt the data in the database fields. But because strongMan did not generate individual IVs, every database field was encrypted using the same key stream. An
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Primary rating from GitHub Advisory · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory
DescriptionGitHub Advisory
strongMan is a management interface for strongSwan, an OpenSource IPsec-based VPN. When storing credentials in the database (private keys, EAP secrets), strongMan encrypts the corresponding database fields. So far it used AES in CTR mode with a global database key. Together with an initialization vector (IV), a key stream is generated to encrypt the data in the database fields. But because strongMan did not generate individual IVs, every database field was encrypted using the same key stream. An attacker that has access to the database can use this to recover the encrypted credentials. In particular, because certificates, which have to be considered public information, are also encrypted using the same mechanism, an attacker can directly recover a large chunk of the key stream, which allows them to decrypt basically all other secrets especially ECDSA private keys and EAP secrets, which are usually a lot shorter. Version 0.2.0 fixes the issue by switching to AES-GCM-SIV encryption with a random nonce and an individually derived encryption key, using HKDF, for each encrypted value. Database migrations are provided to automatically re-encrypt all credentials.
Executive ViewAI
CVE-2026-25998 affects strongMan, a credential management interface for strongSwan VPN systems, where encrypted database fields storing sensitive credentials (private keys and EAP secrets) contain a HIGH severity vulnerability. Organizations using strongMan for VPN credential management face potential exposure of authentication materials, compromising VPN infrastructure security and user access controls. No patch is currently available, requiring immediate compensating controls.
Restrict network access to strongMan interface via firewall rules or VPN to authorized administrators only; implement database-level encryption and access controls independent of application encryption; enable and monitor detailed audit logging for all credential access and modifications; consider disabling credential storage in strongMan and managing credentials through external HSM or vault solutions; segment strongMan systems on isolated networks with minimal trust relationships; implement compensating detective controls through SIEM to identify suspicious credential access patterns.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
GitHub
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
Exploit-DB