CVE-2026-76245 in stigmem
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
stigmem (pip package stigmem-node) version 0.9.0a1 contains a timestamp-handling mismatch in federation peer-token validation that can cause valid peer tokens to be incorrectly treated as expired. This affects the availability and reliability of authenticated federation flows on nodes using federation peer authentication paths. The issue is fixed in 0.9.0a2, which uses the canonical millisecond-based validation path.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The vulnerability identified within stigmem-node version 0.9.0a1 represents a critical logic error in the timestamp handling mechanism used for validating federation peer tokens. This flaw specifically manifests during the authentication phase of federated network operations, where nodes rely on shared secrets and time-bound credentials to establish trust relationships with other peers. The core technical deficiency lies in an inconsistency between how token issuance timestamps are recorded or expected versus how they are evaluated against the current system time during validation. Rather than employing a standardized temporal reference frame, such as canonical millisecond-based epoch time, the affected version utilizes a disparate method for calculating expiration windows. This mismatch creates a scenario where valid tokens, which should remain active within their designated validity period, are erroneously flagged as expired due to discrepancies in time representation or calculation granularity.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability directly impacts the availability and reliability of authenticated federation flows. When peer nodes attempt to communicate using standard authentication paths that depend on these token validations, they may encounter unexpected rejection errors even when presenting legitimate credentials. This leads to intermittent connectivity failures within the federated network structure, potentially causing service disruptions for applications relying on seamless inter-node communication. The issue undermines the robustness of the federation layer by introducing instability into what should be a deterministic authentication process, forcing systems to either retry connections unnecessarily or fail over incorrectly, thereby degrading overall system performance and user experience in distributed environments.
In terms of security taxonomy, this flaw aligns with CWE-345 Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity, as the system fails to correctly verify the temporal validity of the presented credential against a consistent standard. Furthermore, it relates to CWE-613 Insufficient Session Expiration because the incorrect expiration logic effectively shortens or invalidates sessions prematurely without proper authorization checks for extension or renewal. Within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability can be associated with Tactic TA0004 Impact and Technique T1499 Endpoint Denial of Service if an attacker were to exploit timing windows to force repeated authentication failures, although in its current state it primarily serves as a reliability issue rather than a direct exploitation vector for unauthorized access. The lack of canonical time handling also touches upon CWE-20 Improper Input Validation regarding the internal processing of temporal data structures before they are subjected to security checks.
The resolution provided in version 0.9.0a2 addresses this deficiency by implementing a canonical millisecond-based validation path. This standardization ensures that all timestamp comparisons utilize a uniform, high-resolution time source, eliminating ambiguity and preventing false negatives during token expiration checks. To mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability in environments still running affected versions, administrators should prioritize upgrading to version 0.9.0a2 or later as soon as possible. In cases where immediate upgrades are not feasible due to dependency constraints, implementing a temporary workaround such as synchronizing system clocks across all federation peers using Network Time Protocol can help reduce the likelihood of timestamp mismatches caused by clock drift, although this is not a complete substitute for fixing the underlying code logic. Regular monitoring of authentication logs for increased rates of token expiration errors can also serve as an early detection mechanism for instances where this vulnerability might be causing operational issues in production environments.