fkie_cve-2026-123816

pyLoad is a free and open-source download manager written in Python. Prior to 0.5.0b3.dev101, Api.check_apikey caches successful validation in self._apikey_cache using only the attacker-controlled key_id. After a legitimate key populates the cache, a forged API key with the same key_id reaches the cache-hit path without comparing apikey[-43:] to the stored hash through hmac.compare_digest. Key identifiers are small sequential integers, so an unauthenticated remote attacker can enumerate an active identifier and inherit the cached key owner's permissions during the 300-second cache lifetime. This issue is fixed in version 0.5.0b3.dev101.

GHSA-r44w-v6gf-x3p6 — pyLoad has an authentication bypass in API key validation (check_apikey cache)

Affected: PyPI: pyload-ng

## Summary

The API-key cache in `check_apikey()` allows an attacker to authenticate with a **forged API key** as long as the legitimate key for the same `key_id` has been used recently.

On a cache hit, the API key **secret is never verified**, resulting in a complete authentication bypass during the cache lifetime.

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# Affected Components

- `src/pyload/core/api/init.py` - `Api.check_apikey()`

- `src/pyload/core/database/apikey_database.py` - `check_apikey()` - `_check_key()`

The cache is used by normal API requests through:

- `src/pyload/webui/app/helpers.py`

which calls:

```python api.check_apikey(api_key) ```

without providing a `ttl`, meaning the default **300-second cache** is always enabled.

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# Root Cause

Successful API key validations are cached in:

```python self._apikey_cache ```

using the following structure:

```python { key_id: (timestamp, cached_data) } ```

The cache key is based **only on `key_id`**, and that value is parsed directly from the user-supplied API key rather than being obtained from a trusted lookup.

When a cache hit occurs within the TTL, `check_apikey()` returns:

```python { "success": True, "data": cached_data } ```

after checking only:

- `expires_at`

At no point on this execution path is the supplied secret:

```text apikey[-43:] ```

compared against the stored key hash.

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The actual secret verification exists only in:

```python _check_key() ```

which correctly uses:

```python hmac.compare_dig…

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fkie_cve-2026-123816

GHSA-r44w-v6gf-x3p6 — pyLoad has an authentication bypass in API key validation (check_apikey cache)