CVE-2026-79901
CVE-2026-79901 — Predictable Active Directory service-account passwords in BoKS Manager
In deployments using BoKS keytab management, affected versions of boks_keytabmd generate Active Directory service-account passwords from a predictable pseudo-random sequence seeded with the current Unix timestamp. An attacker who knows the service principal and can estimate the password-change time can reproduce a limited candidate set and verify candidates offline.
Published Updated Sources: NVD, Fortra (CNA), GitHub, GitHub Security Advisory, SOCRadar CTI
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.
Exploitation
Exploit code
public exploit, none observed
EPSS
0%
ahead of 0% of scored CVEs
CVSS base
9.9
critical
CISA SSVC assessment
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Exploitation
None
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
No
can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Total
partial · total control of the vulnerable component
Remediation
The vendor's own words where we have them.
Upgrade the active BoKS Master to boks-server 9.0.0.7 and restart BoKS before generating replacement passwords.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.
- Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
- Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortra | BoKS Manager boks-server | 0 to < 9.0.0.6 | Vulnerable |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Availability
High
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Scope
Changed
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Vector
Network
Privileges Req
Low
User Interaction
None
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.9 | CVSS 3.1 | critical | 3.1 | 6 | CNA, Fortra (CNA), GHSA |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
What this weakness leads to
MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.
CWE-338 · Use of Cryptographically Weak Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG)
- Bypass Protection Mechanism
Mitigation: Use functions or hardware which use a hardware-based random number generation for all crypto. This is the recommended solution. Use CyptGenRandom on Windows, or hw_rand() on Linux.::
Weakness & attack patterns
- CWE-338
Inferred from the weakness class — not observed against this CVE.
Public exploit
Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.
Repositories
1
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable BoKS Manager boks-server.
- Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 1 public PoC repositories were reported.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.
- 2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 9.9 (AV:N)
Oct 1, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Oct 1, 2026 · NVD
Added · GHSA-v6pf-6px3-6h92 published (critical)
Oct 1, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisory
CVE published by MITRE.
Oct 1, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
References
3 on the record
- www.fortra.com/security/advisories/product-security/fi-2026-012
Vendor Advisory
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-79901
NVD
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-v6pf-6px3-6h92
Exploit, Third Party Advisory
Elsewhere on this site
- Fortraevery CVE for this vendor
- Cryptographysame class
- CWE-338other pages naming this weakness
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record1
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-79901 is Predictable Active Directory service-account passwords in BoKS Manager, a critical vulnerability affecting BoKS Manager boks-server from Fortra. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-79901. Public exploit evidence is: 1 public PoC repositories reported; 0 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 9.9 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.