EUVD-2026-22840Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
AC:H because both Crypt::URandom and Bytes::Random::Secure must be absent; hash acquisition is also a prerequisite before offline cracking yields C:H.
Primary rating from NVD.
CVSS VectorNVD
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5DescriptionCVE.org
Apache::API::Password versions through v0.5.2 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.
AnalysisAI
Cryptographically weak password salts in Apache::API::Password (Perl, CPAN) through v0.5.2 allow offline dictionary attacks against hashed credentials when optional secure-random modules are absent. The library's _make_salt and _make_salt_bcrypt methods silently fall back to Perl's built-in rand() - a non-cryptographic PRNG - if both Crypt::URandom and Bytes::Random::Secure are unavailable at runtime, producing predictable salt values that dramatically reduce the search space for password cracking. No public exploit code and no confirmed active exploitation are recorded; EPSS is 0.02% (4th percentile), consistent with a configuration-dependent cryptographic weakness rather than a directly triggerable remote flaw.
Technical ContextAI
Apache::API::Password (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:jdeguest:apache::api::password:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) is a Perl CPAN module (vendor: JDEGUEST) that provides password hashing services - including bcrypt - for applications built on the Apache2::API framework. The root cause is CWE-338 (Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator). The library implements a module-preference chain for randomness: it first attempts to load Crypt::URandom (OS-entropy wrapper) and then Bytes::Random::Secure (CSPRNG). Only if both are absent does it fall back to rand(), which in Perl is a linear congruential generator seeded from a low-entropy source and is explicitly documented as unsuitable for security purposes. Because salts are intended to prevent rainbow-table and precomputed attacks, a predictable salt space collapses the security guarantee of even a strong hash algorithm like bcrypt. The referenced CPANSec guidance at security.metacpan.org and the Crypt::URandom documentation confirm the recommended practice that the library fails to enforce.
RemediationAI
Upgrade to Apache2-API v0.5.3 or later via CPAN (cpan Apache2::API or cpanm Apache2::API), which resolves the insecure fallback. The vendor changelog at https://metacpan.org/release/JDEGUEST/Apache2-API-v0.5.3/changes documents the fix. As a workaround prior to patching, install Crypt::URandom (cpanm Crypt::URandom) - it is a minimal pure-Perl module with no compiled dependencies that provides OS-level entropy on Linux, macOS, and Windows - which will satisfy the library's first preference and prevent the insecure rand() fallback from ever firing. Installing Bytes::Random::Secure is an equally valid workaround. Operators should also audit whether any salts generated by the vulnerable code path are already in use: if so, forcing a password-reset cycle for affected users is advisable, since previously stored hashes may have been generated with weak salts. No side effects from the upgrade are anticipated for correctly configured deployments.
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