Read the docs
TI-2026-21012 Aliases CVE-2026-25998

strongMan vulnerable to private credential recovery due to key and counter reuse

Priority MEDIUM 44CWE-1204Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
None
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · None · None
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.

Summary

strongMan is a management interface for strongSwan, an OpenSource IPsec-based VPN. When storing credentials in the database (private keys, EAP secrets), strongMan encrypts the corresponding database fields. So far it used AES in CTR mode with a global database key. Together with an initialization vector (IV), a key stream is generated to encrypt the data in the database fields. But because strongMan did not generate individual IVs, every database field was encrypted using the same key stream. An attacker that has access to the database can use this to recover the encrypted credentials. In particular, because certificates, which have to be considered public information, are also encrypted using the same mechanism, an attacker can directly recover a large chunk of the key stream, which allows them to decrypt basically all other secrets especially ECDSA private keys and EAP secrets, which are usually a lot shorter. Version 0.2.0 fixes the issue by switching to AES-GCM-SIV encryption with a random nonce and an individually derived encryption key, using HKDF, for each encrypted value. Database migrations are provided to automatically re-encrypt all credentials.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00347 28th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed strongMan (strongswan): 0.2.0

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
Yes
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
strongSwanstrongManbefore 0.2.00.2.0Patch availableCNA
  • strongMan VendorstrongSwan Affected before 0.2.0 Fixed in 0.2.0 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongman:0.1.0:*:*:*:*:python:*:*0.1.0VulnerablestrongSwan
  • cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongman:0.1.0:*:*:*:*:python:*:* Versions 0.1.0 Vulnerable ·strongSwan

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA strongMan (strongswan) Fixed in 0.2.0

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-25998

References

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences