CVE-2025-59425Network attack vector

API key recovery via variable-time bearer comparison

Published Oct 7, 2025 · Updated Oct 7, 2025

Covert timing channel in vLLM before 0.11.0rc2 allows remote attackers to recover an API key through repeated bearer-token requests. AuthenticationMiddleware directly compares the supplied Authorization value with configured bearer tokens, producing longer checks as more leading characters match. Exploitation requires the built-in API-key option and enough network samples to distinguish timing differences; a recovered key grants access to protected API endpoints.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.57%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Covert timing channel in vLLM before 0.11.0rc2 allows remote attackers to recover an API key through repeated bearer-token requests. AuthenticationMiddleware directly compares the supplied Authorization value with configured bearer tokens, producing longer checks as more leading characters match. Exploitation requires the built-in API-key option and enough network samples to distinguish timing differences; a recovered key grants access to protected API endpoints.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-59425
Published
Oct 7, 2025
Updated
Oct 7, 2025
Vendor
vLLM Project
Product
vLLM
Classifications
CWE-385, T1110.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 7, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 0.11.0rc2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

vLLM Project · vLLMversion=< 0.11.0rc2

Published CVSS scores

7.5GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-385Covert Timing Channel
T1110.001Password Guessing

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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