What is CVE-2026-50268?

CVE-2026-50268 is a low-severity use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm vulnerability in Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption (nuget), affecting versions >= 4.0.0, <= 4.1.0. It is fixed in 4.2.0. The application uses a cryptographic algorithm known to have weaknesses, such as MD5, SHA-1, or DES.

How severe is CVE-2026-50268?

CVE-2026-50268 has a CVSS score of 1.9 (Low). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which versions of Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption are affected by CVE-2026-50268?

Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption (nuget) versions >= 4.0.0, <= 4.1.0 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2026-50268?

Yes. CVE-2026-50268 is fixed in 4.2.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2026-50268 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2026-50268 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2026-50268 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2026-50268 in Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption

Q: How severe is CVE-2026-50268?

CVE-2026-50268 has a CVSS score of 1.9 (Low). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which versions of Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption are affected by CVE-2026-50268?

Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption (nuget) versions >= 4.0.0, <= 4.1.0 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2026-50268?

Yes. CVE-2026-50268 is fixed in 4.2.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2026-50268 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2026-50268 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2026-50268 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2026-50268?

Upgrade Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption to 4.2.0 or later.

Summary

Steeltoe: OAEP setting silently selects PKCS#1 v1.5 padding

Configuring encrypt:rsa:algorithm=OAEP does not enable OAEP encryption. Due to an incorrect BouncyCastle transformation string, the OAEP setting selects PKCS#1 v1.5, which is the same algorithm as the DEFAULT setting.

Migration note

Existing {cipher} values produced under the broken OAEP setting were encrypted with PKCS#1 v1.5. The fix makes OAEP use actual OAEP padding, so those values will fail to decrypt after upgrading. Re-encrypt all affected {cipher} values after upgrading.

Impact

Operators who configure encrypt:rsa:algorithm=OAEP to obtain CCA2-secure padding receive PKCS#1 v1.5 instead. Currently, Decrypt() is called only against operator-controlled configuration data, so no exploitable path exists, but any future code path that exposes a decryption oracle would be Bleichenbacher-vulnerable despite the OAEP setting.

The application uses a cryptographic algorithm known to have weaknesses, such as MD5, SHA-1, or DES. Typical impact: compromised confidentiality or integrity of protected data.

CVE-2026-50268 has a CVSS score of 1.9 (Low). The vector is requires local access, high privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (4.2.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption (>= 4.0.0, <= 4.1.0)

Security releases

Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption → 4.2.0 (nuget)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption to 4.2.0 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-50268? CVE-2026-50268 is a low-severity use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm vulnerability in Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption (nuget), affecting versions >= 4.0.0, <= 4.1.0. It is fixed in 4.2.0. The application uses a cryptographic algorithm known to have weaknesses, such as MD5, SHA-1, or DES.
How severe is CVE-2026-50268? CVE-2026-50268 has a CVSS score of 1.9 (Low). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which versions of Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption are affected by CVE-2026-50268? Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption (nuget) versions >= 4.0.0, <= 4.1.0 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-50268? Yes. CVE-2026-50268 is fixed in 4.2.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2026-50268 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-50268 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2026-50268 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2026-50268? Upgrade Steeltoe.Configuration.Encryption to 4.2.0 or later.