How severe is CVE-2015-8626?

CVE-2015-8626 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2015-8626 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2015-8626?

CVE-2015-8626 primarily affects Mediawiki. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2015-8626?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2015-8626 published?

CVE-2015-8626 was published on 2017-03-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2015-8626

CVE-2015-8626 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Mediawiki with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-255.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (77th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-255
Affected product: Mediawiki
Published: 2017-03-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The User::randomPassword function in MediaWiki before 1.23.12, 1.24.x before 1.24.5, 1.25.x before 1.25.4, and 1.26.x before 1.26.1 generates passwords smaller than $wgMinimalPasswordLength, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain access via a brute-force attack.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-8626?: The User::randomPassword function in MediaWiki before 1.23.12, 1.24.x before 1.24.5, 1.25.x before 1.25.4, and 1.26.x before 1.26.1 generates passwords smaller than $wgMinimalPasswordLength, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain access via a brute-force attack.
How severe is CVE-2015-8626?: CVE-2015-8626 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2015-8626 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2015-8626?: CVE-2015-8626 primarily affects Mediawiki. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2015-8626?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2015-8626 published?: CVE-2015-8626 was published on 2017-03-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (11)

cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.24.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.24.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.24.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.24.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.24.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.25.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.25.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.25.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.25.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mediawiki:mediawiki:1.26.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Mediawiki

CVE-2025-67484 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Vulnerability in Wikimedia Foundation MediaWiki. This vulnerability is associated with program files…
CVE-2024-34502 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in WikibaseLexeme in MediaWiki before 1.39.6, 1.40.x before 1.40.2, and 1.41.x before 1.41.1.…
CVE-2023-37303 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in the CheckUser extension for MediaWiki through 1.39.3. In certain situations, an attempt to…
CVE-2023-29141 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in MediaWiki before 1.35.10, 1.36.x through 1.38.x before 1.38.6, and 1.39.x before 1.39.3. An…
CVE-2022-29906 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The admin API module in the QuizGame extension for MediaWiki through 1.37.2 (before…
CVE-2022-29904 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The SemanticDrilldown extension for MediaWiki through 1.37.2 (before e688bdba6434591b5dff689a45e4d53459954773) allows…

All CVEs affecting Mediawiki →

Other CWE-255 (Credentials Management Errors) vulnerabilities

CVE-2016-0898 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): MySQL for PCF tiles 1.7.x before 1.7.10 were discovered to log the AWS access key in plaintext. These credentials were…
CVE-2015-7906 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): LOYTEC LIP-3ECTB 6.0.1, LINX-100, LVIS-3E100, and LIP-ME201 devices allow remote attackers to read a password-hash…
CVE-2015-7856 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): OpenNMS has a default password of rtc for the rtc account, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain access…
CVE-2014-9736 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): GE Healthcare Centricity Clinical Archive Audit Trail Repository has a default password of initinit for the (1) SSL key…
CVE-2014-7233 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): GE Healthcare Precision THUNIS-800+ has a default password of (1) 1973 for the factory default System Utilities menu,…
CVE-2014-7232 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): GE Healthcare Discovery XR656 and XR656 G2 has a password of (1) 2getin for the insite user, (2) 4$xray for the xruser…

Browse all CWE-255 (Credentials Management Errors) vulnerabilities →