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Improper Key Verification in openpgp

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Aug 23, 2019 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 9, 2023

Package

npm openpgp (npm)

Affected versions

<= 4.1.2

Patched versions

4.2.0

Description

Versions of openpgp prior to 4.2.0 are vulnerable to Improper Key Verification. The OpenPGP standard allows signature packets to have subpackets which may be hashed or unhashed. Unhashed subpackets are not cryptographically protected and cannot be trusted. The openpgp package does not verify whether a subpacket is hashed. Furthermore, due to the order of parsing a signature packet information from unhashed subpackets overwrites information from hashed subpackets. This may allow an attacker to modify the contents of a key certification signature or revocation signature. Doing so could convince a victim to use an obsolete key for encryption. An attack require a victim to import a manipulated key or update an existing key with a manipulated version.

Recommendation

Upgrade to version 4.2.0 or later.
If you are upgrading from a version <4.0.0 it is highly recommended to read the High-Level API Changes section of the openpgp 4.0.0 release: https://github.com/openpgpjs/openpgpjs/releases/tag/v4.0.0

References

Reviewed Aug 23, 2019
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Aug 23, 2019
Last updated Jan 9, 2023

Severity

High
7.5
/ 10

CVSS base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2019-9154

GHSA ID

GHSA-hfmf-q43v-2ffj

Source code

No known source code
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