CVE-2025-26340 is a high-severity vulnerability impacting Q-Free MaxTime versions 2.11.0 and earlier. This vulnerability allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to bypass authentication through crafted HTTP requests due to a CWE-321 "Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key". The CVSS score of 8.8 indicates a significant risk, and organizations utilizing this software should be concerned about potential unauthorized access.
Risk to organizations includes unauthorized access to sensitive data, which can lead to further exploitation or data breaches. Given the high severity and the nature of the vulnerability, immediate action is recommended. Organizations should prioritize patching to safeguard against potential exploitation.
Currently, there are no known exploits available for this vulnerability, but the lack of a patch leaves systems vulnerable to potential attacks. Organizations must act swiftly to apply mitigations and reduce exposure.
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately. The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated, as the potential for exploitation exists even without confirmed public exploits.
The vulnerability was published on February 12, 2025, and has since been analyzed and categorized as high severity. Organizations using Q-Free MaxTime should ensure they are aware of the implications and take the necessary steps to address this vulnerability.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability is classified under CWE-321, indicating a hard-coded cryptographic key in the JWT signing process. This flaw enables attackers to craft malicious HTTP requests, thus bypassing authentication mechanisms in the affected versions of Q-Free MaxTime.
The CVSS score of 8.8 reflects the high severity of this vulnerability, highlighting its potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Organizations are urged to assess their systems for this vulnerability and take immediate corrective action.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2025-26340 lies in the use of a hard-coded cryptographic key for JWT signing in Q-Free MaxTime. This design flaw creates an opportunity for attackers to manipulate authentication processes without proper authorization.
The attack vector is categorized as network-based, allowing attackers to exploit the vulnerability remotely. The attack complexity is low, with no privileges required for exploitation, though user interaction is required.
The potential impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability are significant, as attackers may gain unauthorized access to sensitive information and disrupt system functionality.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Real-world deployment of Q-Free MaxTime without addressing this vulnerability poses a severe risk to organizations. The potential for unauthorized access to sensitive data can lead to significant reputational and financial damage.
The blast radius of this vulnerability is considerable, as it affects all instances of the product below version 2.11.0. Organizations must recognize the urgency of the situation and take action based on the CVSS score of 8.8 and the current assessment of risk.
Given that the vulnerability is not currently listed in the KEV catalog, organizations should still treat it with utmost priority due to its potential impact and the ease of exploitation.
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
All versions of Q-Free MaxTime prior to version 2.11.0 are affected by this vulnerability. Organizations should ensure they are running a secure version to mitigate risks.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should immediately update Q-Free MaxTime to the latest version to remediate this vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, implementing configuration hardening can be a temporary measure to reduce risk.
Monitoring for unusual authentication attempts and ensuring robust logging can aid in detecting any exploitation attempts.
For further assistance, organizations can explore penetration testing services to validate their security posture.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploit attempts related to this vulnerability, organizations should monitor logs for unusual authentication activities. Behavioral anomalies, such as sudden spikes in failed login attempts, should also be investigated.
Network signatures associated with unauthorized access attempts should be established, and system changes should be closely monitored.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
CVE-2025-26340 represents a significant risk for organizations using Q-Free MaxTime due to its potential for unauthorized access. This vulnerability exemplifies the importance of avoiding hard-coded cryptographic keys in software design.
Security teams must remain vigilant and implement rigorous security practices to prevent similar weaknesses in the future. For additional insights, organizations can refer to resources on vulnerability management and penetration testing methodology to enhance their defenses.
Adopting a proactive security posture will be crucial for organizations to mitigate risks associated with vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-26340.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

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