CVE-2026-53692 Overview
CVE-2026-53692 affects Redeight CMS version 1.0, which stores user passwords using the MD5 hashing algorithm without a salt. MD5 is a cryptographically broken algorithm with known collision and preimage weaknesses. The absence of a salt allows attackers to reverse captured hashes using precomputed rainbow tables or high-speed GPU cracking. Any attacker who obtains the password database can recover plaintext credentials at scale. The weakness is classified under CWE-328: Use of Weak Hash.
Critical Impact
Attackers with access to Redeight CMS 1.0 password hashes can recover plaintext credentials, enabling account takeover and lateral movement across systems that share passwords.
Affected Products
- Redeight CMS version 1.0
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-06-30 - CVE-2026-53692 published to NVD
- 2026-06-30 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-53692
Vulnerability Analysis
Redeight CMS 1.0 passes user passwords directly into an MD5 hashing routine before storing them in its user database. MD5 produces a 128-bit digest at very high throughput on modern GPUs, allowing exhaustive brute-force of short and medium-complexity passwords in minutes. Because no per-user salt is applied, identical passwords produce identical hashes across accounts. This lets an attacker crack multiple accounts in a single pass and match against public rainbow table datasets. The result is complete disclosure of stored credentials once the hash store is exposed.
Root Cause
The root cause is the use of an unsalted, fast, and cryptographically broken hash algorithm for password storage. Modern password storage requires an adaptive key derivation function such as bcrypt, scrypt, Argon2id, or PBKDF2 with a unique per-user salt and a tuned work factor. Redeight CMS 1.0 implements none of these controls.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires access to the stored password hashes, typically obtained through local file access, database compromise, SQL injection, or backup exposure. Once hashes are extracted, an attacker computes candidate MD5 values offline using tools such as hashcat or John the Ripper, or performs direct lookups against precomputed rainbow tables. No interaction with the running CMS is needed during the cracking phase, so the target has no opportunity to detect the offline attack.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. Technical background is referenced in the CERT Polska analysis.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-53692
Indicators of Compromise
- Presence of 32-character hexadecimal password values in the Redeight CMS user table, consistent with raw MD5 output and no salt column.
- Unauthorized reads or exports of the CMS database, user table, or backup archives containing credential fields.
- Successful authentication events immediately following an unusual database access or file read event on the CMS host.
- Reuse of Redeight CMS account passwords authenticating successfully to unrelated services, indicating cracked credentials.
Detection Strategies
- Audit the schema of Redeight CMS 1.0 installations for MD5-format password columns and missing salt fields.
- Deploy file integrity monitoring on the CMS database files and backup directories to detect unauthorized copy operations.
- Correlate CMS login success events with prior database export or file read activity from non-administrative accounts.
- Alert on outbound transfers of database dumps or archive files from web servers hosting Redeight CMS.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward CMS application logs, database audit logs, and web server logs to a central SIEM for correlation.
- Monitor for password reuse by comparing successful authentications across systems that share the same user base.
- Track administrative access to the CMS user table and flag ad-hoc SELECT queries against password columns.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-53692
Immediate Actions Required
- Force a password reset for all Redeight CMS 1.0 user accounts and invalidate active sessions.
- Restrict database and filesystem access to the CMS host to a minimum set of administrative accounts.
- Rotate any credentials shared between Redeight CMS and other systems, since cracked hashes expose reused passwords.
- Enable multi-factor authentication on any administrative interface that fronts the CMS.
Patch Information
No vendor patch has been published for CVE-2026-53692 at the time of NVD publication on 2026-06-30. Operators should replace the password storage routine with a modern key derivation function such as Argon2id, bcrypt, or PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256, applying a unique per-user salt and a calibrated work factor. Existing hashes should be upgraded by wrapping the stored MD5 with a strong KDF on next login, then replacing with the KDF-only output.
Workarounds
- Isolate the Redeight CMS database behind strict network controls and encrypt backups at rest with independently managed keys.
- Implement account lockout and rate limiting on the login endpoint to slow online guessing of any cracked passwords still in use elsewhere.
- Migrate stored hashes to Argon2id or bcrypt with per-user salts, either through a custom patch or by replacing Redeight CMS 1.0.
- Enforce a minimum password length and complexity policy to raise the offline cracking cost for any legacy MD5 hashes that remain.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
