Fleet: Device lock PIN can be predicted if lock time is known
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
Fleet is open source device management software. In versions prior to 4.80.1, Fleet generated device lock and wipe PINs using a predictable algorithm based solely on the current Unix timestamp. Because no secret key or additional entropy was used, the resulting PIN could potentially be derived if the approximate time the device was locked is known. Fleet’s device lock and wipe commands generate a 6-digit PIN that is displayed to administrators for unlocking a device. In affected versions, this PIN was deterministically derived from the current timestamp. An attacker with physical possession of a locked device and knowledge of the approximate time the lock command was issued could theoretically predict the correct PIN within a limited search window. However, successful exploitation is constrained by multiple factors: Physical access to the device is required, the approximate lock time must be known, the operating system enforces rate limiting on PIN entry attempts, attempts would need to be spread over, and device wipe operations would typically complete before sufficient attempts could be made. As a result, this issue does not allow remote exploitation, fleet-wide compromise, or bypass of Fleet authentication controls. Version 4.80.1 contains a patch. No known workarounds are available.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fleetdm | fleet | before 4.80.1 | 4.80.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4 (Go) | before 4.80.1 | 4.80.1 | Patch available | GHSA-ppwx-5jq7-px2w |
- fleet Vendorfleetdm Affected before 4.80.1 Fixed in 4.80.1 Patch available CNA
- github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4 (Go) Vendor— Affected before 4.80.1 Fixed in 4.80.1 Patch available GHSA-ppwx-5jq7-px2w
Remediation
- Fix · CNA fleet (fleetdm) Fixed in 4.80.1
- Fix · GHSA-ppwx-5jq7-px2w github.com/fleetdm/fleet/v4 (Go) Fixed in 4.80.1 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-23999
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-ppwx-5jq7-px2w
References
More fleetdm Fleet vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-65639 Fleet before 4.87.0 Authentication Bypass via Device Identifiers CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2026-18942 Fleet has a JWT signature bypass vulnerability in Azure AD MDM enrollment CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2020-16097 SAML authentication vulnerability in Fleet CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2026-21066 Fleet server may terminate unexpectedly when handling certain gRPC requests CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-21065 Fleet's unbounded request body read allows remote Denial of Service CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-20084 Fleet Windows MDM Azure AD JWT Authentication Bypass CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.2
Sources
- CVE-2026-23999 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-23999 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-ppwx-5jq7-px2w · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences