Summary
Vantage6: Set admin user and password from environment or configuration
Workarounds
It is possible to delete the root user after it has been used to create other users
References
We could consider doing this like mongodb
Additional info
Luis uses the following patch to mitigate it:
diff --git a/vantage6-server/vantage6/server/__init__.py b/vantage6-server/vantage6/server/__init__.py
index ea362c1e..c6dcbbd9 100644
--- a/vantage6-server/vantage6/server/__init__.py
+++ b/vantage6-server/vantage6/server/__init__.py
@@ -618,18 +618,30 @@ class ServerApp:
# TODO use constant instead of 'Root' literal
root = db.Role.get_by_name("Root")
- log.warn(
- f"Creating root user: "
- f"username={SUPER_USER_INFO['username']}, "
- f"password={SUPER_USER_INFO['password']}"
- )
+ # Temporary patch
+ # read initial root password from file (docker secret) if provided
+ # TODO: This is a workaround so we don't have an insecure vserver
+ # at the start. Ideally, we would provide an already hashed
+ # password. But as hashing is implemented via @validates on
+ # the field 'password', there isn't a nice way around this.
+ if os.environ.get("V6_INITIAL_ROOT_PASSWORD_FILE"):
+ with open(
+ os.environ.get("V6_INITIAL_ROOT_PASSWORD_FILE")
+ ) as password_file:
+ initial_root_password = password_file.read().strip()
+ log.info(
+ f"Creating root user with password provided via V6_INITIAL_ROOT_PASSWORD_FILE"
+ )
+ else:
+ initial_root_password = SUPER_USER_INFO["password"]
+ log.warn(f"Creating root user with default credentials!")
user = db.User(
username=SUPER_USER_INFO["username"],
roles=[root],
organization=org,
email="[email protected]",
- password=SUPER_USER_INFO["password"],
+ password=initial_root_password,
failed_login_attempts=0,
last_login_attempt=None,
)
Impact
Vantage6 currently provides an initial user with username root and password root. This is not ideal for the following reasons:
- Attackers know that almost all vantage6 servers have a user with username
rootthat probably has admin rights - The initial password is very weak and it is possible that administrators forget to reset it.
Affected versions
Security releases
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-54445? CVE-2026-54445 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in vantage6 (pip), affecting versions <= 4.2.3. It is fixed in 5.0.0.
- Which versions of vantage6 are affected by CVE-2026-54445? vantage6 (pip) versions <= 4.2.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54445? Yes. CVE-2026-54445 is fixed in 5.0.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-54445 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-54445 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-2026-54445 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-2026-54445? Upgrade
vantage6to 5.0.0 or later.