Plaintext password recovery via nonconstant-time comparison
Published Sep 22, 2026 · Updated Sep 22, 2026
Observable timing differences in LightRAG before 1.5.5 allow remote attackers to recover plaintext-configured passwords. The verify_password function in lightrag/api/passwords.py uses Python's short-circuiting equality operator for plaintext AUTH_ACCOUNTS values, making response time depend on password length and matching prefixes. Exploitation requires repeated /login requests over a sufficiently low-latency network path, and bcrypt-prefixed password values do not enter the affected comparison path.
Summary
What happened
Observable timing differences in LightRAG before 1.5.5 allow remote attackers to recover plaintext-configured passwords. The verify_password function in lightrag/api/passwords.py uses Python's short-circuiting equality operator for plaintext AUTH_ACCOUNTS values, making response time depend on password length and matching prefixes. Exploitation requires repeated /login requests over a sufficiently low-latency network path, and bcrypt-prefixed password values do not enter the affected comparison path.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-85725
- Published
- Sep 22, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 22, 2026
- Vendor
- Data Intelligence Lab @ HKU
- Product
- LightRAG
- Classifications
- CWE-208, T1110.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 22, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 22, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=< 1.5.5
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Public exploit references
- LightRAG login timing-oracle proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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