● High · CVSS 7.5

How to Fix CVE-2026-5088: Use of cryptographically weak pseudo-random number flaw in Apache::API::Password

By Sai Kiran Pandrala. Last verified: 2026-05-25.

⚡ At a glance

Severity	7.5 (High)
Actively exploited?	No public listing in CISA KEV
Affected	JDEGUEST Apache::API::Password 0 to <0.5.2
Fixed in	Apache::API::Password 0.5.2
Type (CWE)	CWE-338: Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator

Exploitation status

There is no CISA KEV entry for CVE-2026-5088 at present, so active in-the-wild exploitation has not been officially confirmed for this CVE. Absence from KEV is not reassurance: the catalog frequently lags live exploitation, so treat the patch on its normal severity timeline.

Public exploit availability: there is no public exploit or Metasploit module in the listed references at present. Absence of a published exploit does not mean none exists privately, so keep the risk rating realistic.

Authoritative references:

https://security.metacpan.org/docs/guides/random-data-for-security.html

What is CVE-2026-5088?

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.

What you'll see

Run the version check that matches your platform:

# Linux
dpkg -s apache2 2>/dev/null | grep -i version
rpm -q apache2 2>/dev/null
apache2 --version 2>/dev/null

# Windows
winget list | findstr /I "apache2"
Get-WmiObject Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*Apache::API::Password*" } | Select-Object Name, Version

Compare what you see against the Affected row above (JDEGUEST Apache::API::Password 0 to <0.5.2). If your build sits inside that range, you are exposed and should patch.

How to fix CVE-2026-5088

The primary fix is to upgrade Apache::API::Password to the patched build. Use the commands for your platform below; the patched version listed in the vendor advisory is: Apache::API::Password 0.5.2.

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade apache2
apache2 --version 2>/dev/null || dpkg -s apache2 | grep -i version

RHEL / CentOS / Rocky / AlmaLinux

sudo dnf upgrade --security apache2 -y
rpm -q apache2

SUSE / openSUSE

sudo zypper patch --category security
rpm -q apache2

Windows (PowerShell, run as administrator)

# Check installed version
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

# Apply latest Microsoft security updates (Windows Update)
Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck
Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
Get-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate
Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoReboot

# Or via winget for application-level patches
winget upgrade --all --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements

If the affected component is a third-party application, identify the package and run:

winget upgrade --id <vendor.product>

Replace <vendor.product> with the actual winget identifier (run winget search Apache HTTP Server to find it).

Complete PowerShell remediation script (Windows)

# Fix script for CVE-2026-5088 affecting Apache HTTP Server
# Run as administrator. Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$LogPath  = "C:\Logs\CVE-2026-5088-fix-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmmss).log"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force (Split-Path $LogPath) | Out-Null
Start-Transcript -Path $LogPath -Append

try {
    Write-Host "[1/4] Detecting installed version of Apache HTTP Server"
    $pkg = winget list --id "Apache_HTTP_Server" 2>$null
    Write-Host $pkg

    Write-Host "[2/4] Backing up configuration"
    $backup = "C:\Backup\Apache_HTTP_Server-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd)"
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force $backup | Out-Null
    Get-ChildItem "C:\ProgramData\Apache_HTTP_Server" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
        Copy-Item -Destination $backup -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    Write-Host "[3/4] Applying upgrade to Apache::API::Password 0.5.2"
    winget upgrade --id "Apache_HTTP_Server" --silent --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
    # Fallback: Windows Update for OS-level fixes
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
        Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
        Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot
    }

    Write-Host "[4/4] Verifying patched build"
    winget list --id "Apache_HTTP_Server"
    Write-Host "Fix applied. Reboot if prompted."
    exit 0
} catch {
    Write-Error "Patch failed: $_"
    exit 1
} finally {
    Stop-Transcript
}

Complete Bash remediation script (Linux)

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Fix script for CVE-2026-5088 affecting Apache HTTP Server
# Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

set -euo pipefail
LOG="/var/log/cve-2026-5088-fix-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"
exec > >(tee -a "$LOG") 2>&1

echo "[1/4] Detecting installed version"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s apache2 2>/dev/null | grep -i version || echo "apache2 not installed via dpkg"
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q apache2 || echo "apache2 not installed via rpm"
fi

echo "[2/4] Backing up configuration"
BACKUP="/root/backup-cve-2026-5088-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP"
for d in /etc/apache2 /etc/apache2.d /etc/apache2.conf; do
    [ -e "$d" ] && cp -a "$d" "$BACKUP/" || true
done

echo "[3/4] Applying upgrade (target: Apache::API::Password 0.5.2)"
if command -v apt-get >/dev/null; then
    apt-get update
    apt-get install --only-upgrade -y apache2
elif command -v dnf >/dev/null; then
    dnf upgrade --security -y apache2
elif command -v yum >/dev/null; then
    yum update -y apache2
elif command -v zypper >/dev/null; then
    zypper --non-interactive patch --category security
fi

echo "[4/4] Verifying patched build"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s apache2 2>/dev/null | grep -i version
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q apache2
fi
echo "Done. Restart any running daemons that loaded the old library."

If you can't patch immediately

If you cannot apply the patched version today, restrict exposure with one of the following runnable controls. None replace the patch.

Network restriction (Linux, nftables)

# Block inbound traffic to the affected service from untrusted networks
sudo nft add table inet filter
sudo nft 'add chain inet filter input { type filter hook input priority 0 ; }'
sudo nft 'add rule inet filter input tcp dport {443, 80} ip saddr != 10.0.0.0/8 drop'
sudo nft list ruleset

Windows firewall isolation

# Allow only management subnet to reach the vulnerable service
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Restrict Apache::API::Password" `
    -Direction Inbound -Action Block -RemoteAddress Any `
    -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Allow Mgmt Apache::API::Password" `
    -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -RemoteAddress 10.0.0.0/8 `
    -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443

Service-level fallback

# If the affected feature is optional, stop the service until the patch is applied
sudo systemctl stop apache2
sudo systemctl disable apache2

The repair

# Linux
apache2 --version 2>/dev/null || dpkg -s apache2 | grep -i version
rpm -q apache2 2>/dev/null || true

# Windows
winget list | findstr /I "apache2"
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

Expected: the reported version is at or above Apache::API::Password 0.5.2. Restart any services that loaded the old library (systemctl restart <service> on Linux, restart the Windows service or reboot when prompted). For network appliances, run show version on the device and confirm the build matches the patched release.

Other flaws in this area worth reviewing while you patch this one:

Is CVE-2026-5088 actually being exploited?

According to the data sources above, no public confirmation of in-the-wild exploitation at this time. Either way, the fix is the same: apply the vendor patch.

Do I need to reboot after patching?

For OS or kernel updates, yes. For most userland packages a systemctl restart <service> is enough. Any process that loaded the old shared library keeps using it until restarted, so when in doubt, reboot.

What is the CVSS score?

7.5 (high). Refer to the vendor advisory for the exact vector string.

Where is the official advisory?

See the References section at the bottom of this page; the vendor's URL is the authoritative source for affected builds and patched versions.

References

Written by Sai Kiran Pandrala on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against the vendor's advisory before applying changes in production.