CVE-2024-36405
CVE-2024-36405 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Openquantumsafe Liboqs with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-208.
Key facts
- Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
- EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (40th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2024-36062
- Weakness: CWE-208
- Affected product: Openquantumsafe Liboqs
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
liboqs is a C-language cryptographic library that provides implementations of post-quantum cryptography algorithms. A control-flow timing lean has been identified in the reference implementation of the Kyber key encapsulation mechanism when it is compiled with Clang 15-18 for `-Os`, `-O1`, and other compilation options. A proof-of-concept local attack on the reference implementation leaks the entire ML-KEM 512 secret key in ~10 minutes using end-to-end decapsulation timing measurements. The issue has been fixed in version 0.10.1. As a possible workaround, some compiler options may produce vectorized code that does not leak secret information, however relying on these compiler options as a workaround may not be reliable.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2024-36405?
- liboqs is a C-language cryptographic library that provides implementations of post-quantum cryptography algorithms. A control-flow timing lean has been identified in the reference implementation of the Kyber key encapsulation mechanism when it is compiled with Clang 15-18 for `-Os`, `-O1`, and other compilation options. A proof-of-concept local attack on the reference implementation leaks the entire ML-KEM 512 secret key in ~10 minutes using end-to-end decapsulation timing measurements. The issue has been fixed in version 0.10.1. As a possible workaround, some compiler options may produce vectorized code that does not leak secret information, however relying on these compiler options as a workaround may not be reliable.
- How severe is CVE-2024-36405?
- CVE-2024-36405 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
- Is CVE-2024-36405 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2024-36405?
- CVE-2024-36405 affects Openquantumsafe Liboqs. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2024-36405?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
- Does CVE-2024-36405 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2024-36405 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2024-36062.
- When was CVE-2024-36405 published?
- CVE-2024-36405 was published on 2024-06-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/open-quantum-safe/liboqs/blob/7eecda6095c003ddded7175a1ffdf35a2ce63ed5/src/kem/kyber/pqcrystals-kyber_kyber512_ref/poly.c#L166
- https://github.com/open-quantum-safe/liboqs/commit/982c762c242ef549c914891b47bf6e0ed6321f91
- https://github.com/open-quantum-safe/liboqs/security/advisories/GHSA-f2v9-5498-2vpp
- https://github.com/pq-crystals/kyber/commit/9b8d30698a3e7449aeb34e62339d4176f11e3c6c
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:openquantumsafe:liboqs:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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