Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2025-6547: pbkdf2 silently disregards Uint8Array input, returning static keys
Improper Input Validation vulnerability in pbkdf2 allows Signature Spoofing by Improper Validation.This issue affects pbkdf2:
CVSS 9.1 Critical EPSS 0.5% · p39
Should you act?
Critical and remotely reachable
No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- Not in CISA KEV, but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 0.5%, percentile 39: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.5% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 39% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
pbkdf2(npm) >= 1.0.0, <= 3.1.2, fixed in 3.1.3. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
Improper Input Validation vulnerability in pbkdf2 allows Signature Spoofing by Improper Validation.This issue affects pbkdf2:
From the GitHub advisory
Summary
On historic but declared as supported Node.js versions (0.12-2.x), pbkdf2 silently disregards Uint8Array input
This only affects Node.js = 0.12](https://github.com/browserify/pbkdf2/blob/v3.1.2/package.json#L62) (and there seems to be ongoing effort in this repo to maintain that) Support Uint8Array input (input is typechecked against Uint8Array, and the error message includes e.g. "Password must be a string, a Buffer, a typed array or a DataView"
Details
The error is in toBuffer method
Weakness type: CWE-20.
Product: pbkdf2 (npm) · Assigned by: harborist · Published: 2025-06-23
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | pbkdf2 | >= 1.0.0, <= 3.1.2 | 3.1.3 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| pbkdf2 | >= 1 <=3.1.2 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| harborist | 4.0 | 9.1 Critical | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H |
| GitHub | 4.0 | 9.1 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: high (needs special conditions)
- Attack requirements: present (depends on deployment conditions)
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- User interaction: none
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc, automatable no, technical impact partial.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.46% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 39.
Timeline
- — CVE record published by harborist
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-v62p-rq8g-8h59 published (critical)
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vendor and project advisories, patches
- github.com github.com
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-v62p-rq8g-8h59 github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2025-6547 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2025-6547 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- github.com github.com