CVE-2026-45701 Overview
CVE-2026-45701 affects Sulu, an open-source PHP content management system built on the Symfony framework. The vulnerability stems from the use of a weak cryptographic hash algorithm in password reset token and API key generation. Attackers who can predict or precompute these tokens may hijack account recovery flows or forge API credentials. The flaw is classified under CWE-327: Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm. Sulu maintainers patched the issue in versions 2.6.23 and 3.0.6.
Critical Impact
Weak hashing in token generation enables attackers to predict password reset tokens or API keys, leading to account takeover and unauthorized API access.
Affected Products
- Sulu CMS versions prior to 2.6.23 (2.x branch)
- Sulu CMS versions prior to 3.0.6 (3.x branch)
- Symfony-based applications embedding the vulnerable Sulu password reset and API key components
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-06-01 - CVE-2026-45701 published to NVD
- 2026-06-01 - Last updated in NVD database
- Patched releases Sulu 2.6.23 and Sulu 3.0.6 published alongside GHSA-7fv8-6pp7-6h85
Technical Details for CVE-2026-45701
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in two security-sensitive code paths inside Sulu: password reset token generation and API key generation. Both flows produced credential material derived from a weak cryptographic hash algorithm. Weak hashes provide insufficient preimage and collision resistance, which means token output can be predicted, brute-forced, or reproduced when an attacker has partial knowledge of the inputs. An attacker on the network can request a password reset for a known administrator account, then attempt to derive or guess the corresponding token without further interaction with the user.
Root Cause
The root cause is a design-level choice to use a hash function that is no longer considered cryptographically strong for security tokens. Password reset tokens and API keys require unpredictable, high-entropy outputs that resist offline computation. Using a fast or broken hash to produce these values violates the security model documented in CWE-327. The fix in versions 2.6.23 and 3.0.6 replaces the weak primitive with a stronger token generation routine.
Attack Vector
The attack is reachable over the network with no authentication and no user interaction. An attacker initiates a password reset for a target account, observes timing or known inputs, and then attempts to compute or predict the issued token. A successful prediction yields full account takeover. The same primitive weakness applies to issued API keys, allowing forgery of credentials that can authenticate to Sulu APIs.
No verified public exploit code is available. See the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-7fv8-6pp7-6h85 for vendor-supplied technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-45701
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected POST requests to Sulu password reset endpoints followed by successful logins from unfamiliar IP addresses
- Creation or use of API keys that do not correspond to any administrative action in audit logs
- Multiple password reset requests for the same privileged account within a short time window
- Logins from new geolocations immediately following a reset token consumption event
Detection Strategies
- Inventory all Sulu deployments and confirm running versions against 2.6.23 and 3.0.6
- Correlate password reset request events with subsequent authentication events to identify anomalous reset-to-login chains
- Alert on API key creation events outside of approved change windows
- Review web server and application logs for repeated hits to reset token endpoints from a single source
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward Sulu application logs and Symfony security logs to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation
- Track administrative account activity, including reset issuance, token redemption, and API key minting, as distinct event types
- Monitor egress to administrative API paths from non-corporate networks
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-45701
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Sulu to version 2.6.23 or 3.0.6 based on the deployed major branch
- Invalidate all outstanding password reset tokens after upgrading
- Rotate all existing API keys and reissue them under the patched release
- Force a password reset for administrative and privileged editor accounts
Patch Information
The Sulu maintainers released fixed builds at Sulu 2.6.23 and Sulu 3.0.6. The vendor advisory GHSA-7fv8-6pp7-6h85 documents the change. Update through Composer using the standard dependency upgrade process.
Workarounds
- Restrict access to the Sulu administrative interface and password reset endpoints to trusted networks or VPN ranges
- Shorten the validity window of existing reset tokens through Symfony configuration where supported
- Disable API key authentication temporarily and require session-based administrative access until patched
# Upgrade Sulu via Composer to the patched release
composer require sulu/sulu:^2.6.23
# or for the 3.x branch
composer require sulu/sulu:^3.0.6
# Clear caches and invalidate sessions after upgrade
php bin/console cache:clear --env=prod
php bin/console sulu:security:user:reset-password <admin-username>
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
