Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain adjacent-network access to NAS
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ExploitRecover hard-coded cryptographic key from software
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ExecutionDecrypt or forge protected data/channel
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ImpactCompromise confidentiality and integrity of system
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A04:2025 - Cryptographic Failures
ASVS 5.0
V11 - Cryptography Key management, no hard-coded keys
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires network adjacency to the QNAP NAS running HBS 3 / Hybrid Backup Sync (AV:A) - the attacker must be on the same local or logical network segment, not arbitrary internet distance, unless the affected service is explicitly exposed through port-forwarding or remote-access configuration. The core prerequisite is possession of the hard-coded cryptographic key (CWE-321), which is embedded in the shipped software and therefore identical for, and recoverable from, every installation. No authentication and no user interaction are needed (PR:N/UI:N), and complexity is low (AC:L). The primary limiting factors are the adjacency requirement and the need to run an affected version below the fixed builds (Hybrid Backup Sync <26.4.1.563 / <26.4.0.521, HBS 3 <26.4.0.521); the exact feature or protocol in which the key is used is not described in the available sources. |
| Impact | This is a serious-but-conditional flaw rather than an internet-wide emergency. The input provides a CVSS 4.0 vector (8.7) with AV:A, AC:L, AT:N, PR:N, UI:N and VC:H/VI:H/VA:H - unauthenticated, low-complexity access with full confidentiality, integrity and availability impact on the vulnerable system, but the Adjacent (AV:A) attack vector means the attacker must reach the device over a local/logical network segment rather than directly across the internet. CWE-321 (use of hard-coded cryptographic key) is inherently high-value because the key is identical across all deployments and recoverable from the shared software, so once published it affects every installed instance uniformly. However, the real-world escalators are absent or unstated: there is no EPSS score in the input, the CVE is NOT in CISA KEV, and no PoC or exploit reference is listed, so this must be treated as 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis' - not active exploitation. The vendor-assigned priority is 'this_week' (not act_now/emergency) and a patch is available, which is consistent with a high-severity issue that warrants prompt but not drop-everything remediation. One point to verify with the vendor: the description says 'remote attackers' while the CVSS vector specifies Adjacent (AV:A) access, so confirm whether exposed/port-forwarded QNAP services widen the practical reach beyond the LAN. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker positioned on the same local network as a QNAP NAS (for example via a compromised LAN host or a device exposed on an untrusted segment) leverages the cryptographic key embedded in HBS 3 / Hybrid Backup Sync - a key shared across all installations - to break the confidentiality or integrity of protected communications or data on the appliance. Because authentication and user interaction are not required (PR:N/UI:N), a single adjacent, low-complexity action can fully compromise the targeted system. No public exploit code is identified in the available sources, and the precise trigger is not described. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 29, 2026
Hard-coded cryptographic key use in QNAP HBS 3 Hybrid Backup Sync lets a network-adjacent, unauthenticated attacker compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the NAS. Installations running HBS 3 Hybrid Backup Sync below 26.4.0.521, or Hybrid Backup Sync below 26.4.0.521 / 26.4.1.563, are affected; because the key ships inside the software it is identical on every install and recoverable from the package, so no credentials or user interaction are needed. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the vendor has released fixed builds and the exposure is rated 8.7 (CVSS 4.0) with high impact across all three pillars.
RemediationAI
Update the application to a fixed build: HBS 3 Hybrid Backup Sync 26.4.0.521 or later, and Hybrid Backup Sync 26.4.0.521 or later or 26.4.1.563 or later depending on the branch installed - QNAP lists the fix as available and distributes it through the App Center release channels described in the release notes at https://www.qnap.com/en/app-release-notes?keyword=HBS%203&app=HybridBackup&product-line=nas and https://www.qnap.com/en/app-release-notes?keyword=Hybrid&app=HybridBackup&product-line=nas. Because the key is baked into the shipped software and is common to every deployment, the update is the only complete fix - there is no per-device key rotation that an administrator can perform to neutralise an already-extracted key on an unpatched build. Until the upgrade is applied, reduce the adjacency prerequisite: keep NAS management and HBS traffic on a segmented VLAN or restricted management network reachable only from trusted hosts, and remove any port-forwarding or remote-access exposure of the HBS service from the internet; the trade-off is that off-site backup jobs and remote administration then require a VPN or jump host. Restricting source addresses at the NAS firewall to known backup peers limits who can reach the service but does not help if a permitted peer is itself compromised, and none of these measures remove the underlying hard-coded key.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 2 packages in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The flaw is classified CWE-321, use of a hard-coded cryptographic key: rather than generating or provisioning per-device key material, HBS 3 Hybrid Backup Sync embeds a static key in the shipped application. Any party who obtains the application package can extract that key, and because it is shared across all installations it becomes a universal secret rather than a per-device one - compromise of one install's key material effectively applies to every other install at the same build. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N, with high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact, and no subsequent-system impact) describes a low-complexity attack launched from an adjacent network segment with no privileges and no user interaction, so severity reflects the value of what the key protects rather than any complicated trigger. The sources do not state which internal feature, protocol or stored-data path actually consumes the hard-coded key, so the precise mechanism by which an attacker converts knowledge of the key into system compromise is not described in the available evidence; likewise, the assessment notes adjacency is the practical gate unless the HBS service has been deliberately port-forwarded or exposed through remote-access configuration.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Adjacent, low-complexity, unauthenticated access to a shared hard-coded key yields full C/I/A impact on the appliance; scope unchanged as impact stays within the vulnerable system.
Primary rating from Vendor (qnap).
CVSS VectorVendor: qnap
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
An use of hard-coded cryptographic key vulnerability has been reported to affect HBS 3 Hybrid Backup Sync and Hybrid Backup Sync. If exploited, the vulnerability could allow remote attackers to compromise the security of the system.
We have already fixed the vulnerability in the following version: HBS 3 Hybrid Backup Sync 26.4.0.521 and later Hybrid Backup Sync 26.4.0.521 and later Hybrid Backup Sync 26.4.1.563 and later
Executive ViewAI
QNAP HBS 3 Hybrid Backup Sync contains a hard-coded cryptographic key that could allow network-adjacent attackers to compromise backups and NAS data. This affects all installations below version 26.4.0.521, meaning backup confidentiality, integrity, and availability are at risk across the organization. Leadership should prioritize patching to prevent potential data breaches or backup corruption.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
EUVD-2025-211209
GHSA-rv3x-2h7v-368w
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB