CVE-2019-25003: Libsecp256k1 Libsecp256k1 Contains Side-channel Timing Attack Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-hrjm-c879-pp86
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-208
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-25003 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) libsecp256k1 contains side-channel timing attack vulnerability (CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy) affecting Libsecp256k1 libraries in the crates.io ecosystem. The issue involves libsecp256k1 contains side-channel timing attack. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.3.1.

CVE-2019-25003 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-25003
GHSA Identifier GHSA-hrjm-c879-pp86
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy
Affected Product Libsecp256k1
Package Ecosystem crates.io
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2019-25003

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Libsecp256k1 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

libsecp256k1 fixed: 0.3.1 
Upgrade libsecp256k1 to 0.3.1
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for libsecp256k1

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2019-25003, inspect your project dependencies for Libsecp256k1:

inspect dependencies for libsecp256k1

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Libsecp256k1 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.3.1), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy, where two separate operations in a product require different amounts of time to complete, in a way that is observable to an actor and reveals security-relevant information about the state of the product, such as whether a particular operation was successful or not. In Libsecp256k1, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Versions of libsecp256k1 prior to 0.3.1 did not execute `Scalar::check_overflow` in constant time. This allows an attacker to potentially leak information via a timing attack. The flaw was corrected by modifying `Scalar::check_overflow` to execute in constant time.

CVE-2019-25003 Affected Libsecp256k1 Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.3.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
libsecp256k1
 crates.io
< 0.3.1
0.3.1

References

NVD — CVE-2019-25003 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-25003
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/paritytech/libsecp256k1/commit/11ba23a9766a5079918cd9f515bc100bc8164b50
Libsecp256k1 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/paritytech/libsecp256k1
rustsec.org/advisories/rustsec-... WEB
https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2019-0027.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-25003?
CVE-2019-25003 is a security vulnerability in Libsecp256k1 involving libsecp256k1 contains side-channel timing attack under CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy.
Which Libsecp256k1 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.3.1 across affected packages: libsecp256k1.
What version fixes CVE-2019-25003?
Upgrading to 0.3.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is libsecp256k1 affected?
Yes, libsecp256k1 is affected in releases prior to 0.3.1. Upgrade your dependency to 0.3.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-25003?
CVE-2019-25003 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-25003?
CVE-2019-25003 is classified under CWE-208: Observable Timing Discrepancy (Two separate operations in a product require different amounts of time to complete, in a way that is observable to an actor and reveals security-relevant information about the state of the product, such as whether a particular operation was successful or not.).
How can I check crates.io dependencies for CVE-2019-25003?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for libsecp256k1'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-hrjm-c879-pp86",
  "modified" : "2023-08-25T00:12:24Z",
  "published" : "2021-08-25T20:46:46Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-25003" ],
  "summary" : "libsecp256k1 contains side-channel timing attack",
  "details" : "Versions of libsecp256k1 prior to 0.3.1 did not execute `Scalar::check_overflow` in constant time. This allows an attacker to potentially leak information via a timing attack. The flaw was corrected by modifying `Scalar::check_overflow` to execute in constant time.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "crates.io",
      "name" : "libsecp256k1"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.3.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-25003"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/paritytech/libsecp256k1/commit/11ba23a9766a5079918cd9f515bc100bc8164b50"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/paritytech/libsecp256k1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2019-0027.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-208" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-08-19T21:19:40Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}