CVE-2019-13628 wolfCrypt leaks cryptographic information via timing side channel
A timing side channel in wolfSSL ECDSA signature generation allows local attackers to recover private keys via lattice attacks when specific math options are disabled.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2019-13628?
CVE-2019-13628 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Wolfssl Wolfssl, published on 3 Oct 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
wolfSSL and wolfCrypt 4.0.0 and earlier (when configured without --enable-fpecc, --enable-sp, or --enable-sp-math) contain a timing side channel in ECDSA signature generation. This allows a local attacker, able to precisely measure the duration of signature operations, to infer information about the nonces used and potentially mount a lattice attack to recover the private key used. The issue occurs because ecc.c scalar multiplication might leak the bit length.
Weakness: CWE-203
Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-13628?
3 open source packages ship an affected version, including wolfcrypt. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
wolfcrypt PyPI | All versions | 4.1.0 |
wolfcrypt PyPI | All versions | 4.1.0 |
wolfcrypt PyPI | All versions | 4.1.0 |
Products include Wolfssl Wolfssl.
How do I fix CVE-2019-13628?
Upgrade wolfcrypt to 4.1.0 or later.
Is CVE-2019-13628 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-13628 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Wolfssl Wolfssl
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2019-13628, GHSA-q95h-vc86-hv77, PYSEC-2026-1066, UBUNTU-CVE-2019-13628.