CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-80114NVD status: Awaiting Analysis

PerformanceTest: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-80114 is a high-severity use of hard-coded cryptographic key vulnerability in PerformanceTest from PassMark Software, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists version 11.1 build 1012 as the first without the flaw, so updating PerformanceTest to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.19% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update PerformanceTest to 11.1 build 1012 or a later version.
  2. Update BurnInTest to 11.1 build 1000 or a later version.
  3. Update OSForensics to 11.1 build 1016 or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
PassMark SoftwarePerformanceTestbefore 11.1 build 101211.1 build 1012
PassMark SoftwareBurnInTestbefore 11.1 build 100011.1 build 1000
PassMark SoftwareOSForensicsbefore 11.1 build 101611.1 build 1016

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (vulncheck.com).

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 4.08.5HighCNA (vulncheck.com)
CVSS 3.17.8HighCNA (vulncheck.com)

Official description

PassMark PerformanceTest before 11.1 build 1012, BurnInTest before 11.1 build 1000, and OSForensics before 11.1 build 1016 contain a hard-coded credentials vulnerability in DirectIo64.sys that allows local attackers to perform arbitrary physical memory writes by extracting an 8-byte key embedded as a hardcoded literal in the distributed binary and computing valid MD5 authentication tags for arbitrary IOCTL write requests. Attackers can additionally bypass a secondary validation gate by using the driver's own bit-clear IOCTL to clear a single bit in the gating instruction's displacement byte, causing all subsequent write requests to skip MAC verification, size checks, and Vendor ID checks entirely.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key

The product uses a hard-coded, unchangeable cryptographic key.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Prevention schemes mirror that of hard-coded password storage.

More Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key vulnerabilities (CWE-321)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in PerformanceTest

All PerformanceTest vulnerabilities

Recent Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key vulnerabilities

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