CVE-2026-53525
WeeChat has Non-Constant-Time Password Hash Comparison in Relay Authentication
Description
WeeChat (Wee Enhanced Environment for Chat) is a free chat client. In versions 0.3.1 through 4.9.0, the WeeChat relay authentication uses non-constant-time string comparison functions (weechat_strcasecmp and strcmp) to verify password hashes and plaintext passwords. An attacker can exploit timing differences to extract the server-computed hash character by character, then authenticate using the correct hash without knowing the password. Version 4.9.1 fixes the issue.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 9, 2026, 9:06 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | MITRE-CVE |
Solution
- Update WeeChat to version 4.9.1 or later.
- Ensure relay authentication uses constant-time comparison.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-53525.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/weechat/weechat/security/advisories/GHSA-vhv8-g2r9-cwcc | |
| https://github.com/weechat/weechat/security/advisories/GHSA-vhv8-g2r9-cwcc |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-53525 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-53525
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-53525 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-53525 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Aug. 25, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Reference https://github.com/weechat/weechat/security/advisories/GHSA-vhv8-g2r9-cwcc Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-53525', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'poc'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'total'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-08-25T16:45:37.380114Z'} -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Aug. 21, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'vendor': 'weechat', 'product': 'weechat', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '>= 0.3.4, < 4.9.1'}]}] Added Description WeeChat (Wee Enhanced Environment for Chat) is a free chat client. In versions 0.3.1 through 4.9.0, the WeeChat relay authentication uses non-constant-time string comparison functions (weechat_strcasecmp and strcmp) to verify password hashes and plaintext passwords. An attacker can exploit timing differences to extract the server-computed hash character by character, then authenticate using the correct hash without knowing the password. Version 4.9.1 fixes the issue. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H Added CWE CWE-208 Added Reference https://github.com/weechat/weechat/security/advisories/GHSA-vhv8-g2r9-cwcc