Low severity · published Jan 21, 2026
CVE-2026-23996
FastAPI Api Key has a timing side-channel in verify_key that allows statistical key validity detection
3.7
CVSS
0.3%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
FastAPI Api Key provides a backend-agnostic library that provides an API key system. Version 1.1.0 has a timing side-channel vulnerability in verify_key(). The method applied a random delay only on verification failures, allowing an attacker to statistically distinguish valid from invalid API keys by measuring response latencies. With enough repeated requests, an adversary could infer whether a key_id corresponds to a valid key, potentially accelerating brute-force or enumeration attacks. All users relying on verify_key() for API key authentication prior to the fix are affected. Users should upgrade to version 1.1.0 to receive a patch. The patch applies a uniform random delay (min_delay to max_delay) to all responses regardless of outcome, eliminating the timing correlation. Some workarounds are available. Add an application-level fixed delay or random jitter to all authentication responses (success and failure) before the fix is applied and/or use rate limiting to reduce the feasibility of statistical timing attacks.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.3% · higher than 22% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
FA
fastapi-api-key · Athroniaeth
< 1.1.0 · source: vendor
FA
Fastapi Api Key · Athroniaeth
before 1.1.0 · source: NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23996
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23996
Patch
https://github.com/Athroniaeth/fastapi-api-key/commit/310b2c5c77305f38c63c0b917539a0344071dfd8
Product
https://github.com/Athroniaeth/fastapi-api-key/releases/tag/1.1.0
Mitigation
https://github.com/Athroniaeth/fastapi-api-key/security/advisories/GHSA-95c6-p277-p87g
