# CVE-2025-6224: Key leakage in juju/utils certificates

> Attackers can extract private keys from certificates generated by the juju/utils library if transmitted over plaintext networks, compromising security.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 1 Jul 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h34r-jxqm-qgpr, GO-2025-3798, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-6224

## What is CVE-2025-6224?

CVE-2025-6224 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Juju utils, published on 1 Jul 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Certificate generation in juju/utils using the cert.NewLeaf function could include private information. If this certificate were then transferred over the network in plaintext, an attacker listening on that network could sniff the certificate and trivially extract the private key from it.

Weakness: CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-6224?

6 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/juju/utils/v4/cert, github.com/juju/utils and github.com/juju/utils/v2. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/juju/utils/v4/cert` | Go | All versions | 4.0.4 |
| `github.com/juju/utils/v4/cert` | Go | All versions | 4.0.4 |
| `github.com/juju/utils` | Go | All versions | None |
| `github.com/juju/utils/v2` | Go | All versions | None |
| `github.com/juju/utils/v3` | Go | All versions | None |
| `github.com/juju/utils/v4` | Go | All versions | 4.0.4 |

Products: Canonical Juju\/Utils.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-6224?

Upgrade github.com/juju/utils/v4/cert to 4.0.4 or later.

## Is CVE-2025-6224 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-6224 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-6224 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-6224 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Juju utils, published on 1 Jul 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-6224 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/juju/utils/v4/cert (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 4.0.4
- github.com/juju/utils/v4/cert (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 4.0.4
- github.com/juju/utils (Go): affected all versions; no fix listed
- github.com/juju/utils/v2 (Go): affected all versions; no fix listed
- github.com/juju/utils/v3 (Go): affected all versions; no fix listed
- github.com/juju/utils/v4 (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 4.0.4

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-6224/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-6224/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-6224
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-6224
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-6224

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-6224/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.