CVE-2026-118765
Description
A flaw was found in Botan. When its automatic random number generator (RNG) is queried with an empty buffer while unseeded, it can improperly mark itself as seeded without gathering entropy from a secure source. On configurations lacking system RNG support, the generator falls back on predictable values such as timestamps and process IDs. A local attacker can exploit this condition to predict random outputs, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of cryptographic keys and sensitive operations.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as Moderate impact because exploitation requires an atypical sequence of application calls alongside local access to observe or predict cryptographic states. In standard Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments, platform entropy facilities are active, preventing reliance on predictable fallback timers and process identifiers. Furthermore, Botan is not included as part of core Red Hat Enterprise Linux releases, significantly limiting exposure across enterprise deployments.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | High | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Access Control,Other
Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism; Other
If a PRNG is used incorrectly, such as using the same seed for each initialization or using a predictable seed, then an attacker may be able to easily guess the seed and thus the random numbers. This could lead to unauthorized access to a system if the seed is used for authentication and authorization.
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