CVE-2026-23901: Shiro core Apache Shiro Affected By An Vulnerability

LOW
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-c4qc-4q9p-m9q9
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CWE-208
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-23901 is a LOW apache shiro affected by an vulnerability (CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy) affecting Shiro core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache shiro affected by an observable timing discrepancy vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.0.

CVE-2026-23901 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-23901
GHSA Identifier GHSA-c4qc-4q9p-m9q9
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy
Affected Product Shiro core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-23901

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Shiro core dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.apache.shiro:shiro-core fixed: 2.1.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.shiro</groupId>
    <artifactId>shiro-core</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.0</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-23901, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Shiro core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.1.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy, where two separate operations in a product require different amounts of time to complete, in a way that is observable to an actor and reveals security-relevant information about the state of the product, such as whether a particular operation was successful or not. In Shiro core, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Observable Timing Discrepancy vulnerability in Apache Shiro. This issue affects Apache Shiro: from 1.*, 2.* before 2.0.7. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.0.7 or later, which fixes the issue. Prior to Shiro 2.0.7, code paths for non-existent vs. existing users are different enough, that a brute-force attack may be able to tell, by timing the requests only, determine if the request failed because of a non-existent user vs. wrong password. The most likely attack vector is a local attack only. Shiro security model  https://shiro.apache.org/security-model.html#username_enumeration  discusses this as well. Typically, brute force attack can be mitigated at the infrastructure level.

CVE-2026-23901 Affected Shiro core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.shiro:shiro-core
maven/org.apache.shiro/shiro-core
Maven
< 2.1.0
2.1.0

References

lists.apache.org/thread/mm1jct9b86jv... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/mm1jct9b86jvnh3y44tj22xvjtx3xhhh
Shiro core Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/02/08/2
NVD — CVE-2026-23901 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23901
Shiro core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/shiro

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-23901?
CVE-2026-23901 is a security vulnerability in Shiro core involving Apache Shiro Affected by an Observable Timing Discrepancy Vulnerability under CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy.
Which Shiro core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.0 across affected packages: org.apache.shiro:shiro-core.
What version fixes CVE-2026-23901?
Upgrading to 2.1.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is shiro-core affected?
Yes, org.apache.shiro:shiro-core is affected in releases prior to 2.1.0. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.0 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-23901?
CVE-2026-23901 is classified under CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy (Two separate operations in a product require different amounts of time to complete, in a way that is observable to an actor and reveals security-relevant information about the state of the product, such as whether a particular operation was successful or not.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-23901?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-c4qc-4q9p-m9q9",
  "modified" : "2026-02-10T14:33:33Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-10T12:30:28Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-23901" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Shiro Affected by an Observable Timing Discrepancy Vulnerability",
  "details" : "Observable Timing Discrepancy vulnerability in Apache Shiro.\n\nThis issue affects Apache Shiro: from 1.*, 2.* before 2.0.7.\n\nUsers are recommended to upgrade to version 2.0.7 or later, which fixes the issue.\n\nPrior to Shiro 2.0.7, code paths for non-existent vs. existing users are different enough,\nthat a brute-force attack may be able to tell, by timing the requests only, determine if\nthe request failed because of a non-existent user vs. wrong password.\n\nThe most likely attack vector is a local attack only.\nShiro security model  https://shiro.apache.org/security-model.html#username_enumeration  discusses this as well.\n\nTypically, brute force attack can be mitigated at the infrastructure level.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.shiro:shiro-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23901"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/shiro"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/mm1jct9b86jvnh3y44tj22xvjtx3xhhh"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/02/08/2"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-208" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-10T14:33:33Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-02-10T10:15:59Z"
  }
}