Busybox: busybox: httpd user existence oracle in non-default shadow-disabled builds
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-88834 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | redhat |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-10-13 17:17:48 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-10-15 16:33:26 UTC |
| Description | A flaw was found in BusyBox's httpd web server. When configured with system password authentication, a user existence oracle may exist in certain build configurations. An attacker could distinguish existing from non-existing usernames by observing authentication failure behavior. Impact is limited to username enumeration and requires non-default compile options or uncommon password file states; default BusyBox builds with shadow password support are not affected. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 3.7 LOW from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Problem Types: CWE-203 | CWE-203 Observable Discrepancy
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 3.7 | LOW | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 3.7 | LOW | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
NetworkAttack Complexity
HighPrivileges Required
NoneUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
LowIntegrity
NoneAvailability
NoneCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Hardened Images | Not specified | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-88834 | [email protected] | access.redhat.com | |
| bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi | [email protected] | bugzilla.redhat.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: Red Hat would like to thank Shubham Raj (Causal Security) for reporting this issue. (en)
Additional Advisory Data
| Source | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| CNA | 2026-09-09T00:00:00.000Z | Reported to Red Hat. |
| CNA | 2026-10-13T13:49:55.741Z | Made public. |
Workarounds
CNA: Prefer explicit username:password entries in httpd.conf instead of /:*:* system-password wildcards. Use PAM-based authentication where available. Ensure BusyBox is built with FEATURE_SHADOWPASSWDS enabled (default).
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.