PYSEC-2026-2026

Summary

The API key support in vLLM performed validation using a method that was vulnerable to a timing attack. This could potentially allow an attacker to discover a valid API key using an approach more efficient than brute force.

Details

https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/blob/4b946d693e0af15740e9ca9c0e059d5f333b1083/vllm/entrypoints/openai/api_server.py#L1270-L1274

API key validation used a string comparison that will take longer the more characters the provided API key gets correct. Data analysis across many attempts can allow an attacker to determine when it finds the next correct character in the key sequence.

Impact

Deployments relying on vLLM's built-in API key validation are vulnerable to authentication bypass using this technique.