CVE-2026-118782
Description
A flaw was found in node-forge. The library improperly handles PKCS#12 Message Authentication Code (MAC) and password-based encryption iteration counts of zero or less, causing the key derivation function to produce a constant, predictable key independent of the password or salt. A remote attacker can exploit this flaw by providing a crafted PKCS#12 archive or encrypted private key to bypass password-based integrity verification, allowing forged certificates and private keys to be accepted as authentic.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as an Important severity flaw because it allows an attacker to bypass cryptographic integrity verifications without knowledge of the passphrase, enabling crafted credentials to appear trusted. Across Red Hat environments incorporating node-forge, impact depends on whether an application or management console accepts and processes user-supplied PKCS#12 or encrypted private key data. Systems that do not accept external certificate archives or that restrict administrative import mechanisms to authenticated users face minimal practical risk.
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 | 7.5 | N/A | 7.5 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | None |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Other
Technical Impact: Modify Application Data; Other
Integrity checks usually use a secret key that helps authenticate the data origin. Skipping integrity checking generally opens up the possibility that new data from an invalid source can be injected.
Integrity,Other
Technical Impact: Other
Data that is parsed and used may be corrupted.
Non-Repudiation,Other
Technical Impact: Hide Activities; Other
Without a checksum check, it is impossible to determine if any changes have been made to the data after it was sent.
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