GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4: pqc_kyber KyberSlash Division Timings Depending On Secrets Vulnerability

HIGH
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CVSS 7.4
Published
Advisory Summary

GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.4) division timings depending on secrets vulnerability (General Security Weakness) affecting pqc_kyber KyberSlash libraries in the crates.io ecosystem. The issue involves division timings depending on secrets. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4 at a Glance

CVE Identifier N/A
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.4
CWE Classification General Security Weakness
Affected Product pqc_kyber KyberSlash
Package Ecosystem crates.io
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.4

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

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

How to Fix GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4

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

pqc_kyber fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade pqc_kyber to Latest secure release
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 pqc_kyber

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4, inspect your project dependencies for pqc_kyber KyberSlash:

inspect dependencies for pqc_kyber

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of pqc_kyber KyberSlash in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), 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 General Security Weakness. In pqc_kyber KyberSlash, 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

Various Kyber software libraries in various environments leak secret information into timing, specifically because * these libraries include a line of code that divides a secret numerator by a public denominator, * the number of CPU cycles for division in various environments varies depending on the inputs to the division, and * this variation appears within the range of numerators used in these libraries. The KyberSlash pages track which Kyber [libraries](https://kyberslash.cr.yp.to/libraries.html) have this issue, and include a [FAQ](https://kyberslash.cr.yp.to/faq.html) about the issue. ## Author The KyberSlash pages were written by Daniel J. Bernstein. The FAQ originally said "I", but some people seemed to have trouble finding this authorship statement, so the FAQ now says "Bernstein" instead. ## URL The permanent link for the KyberSlash pages is [https://kyberslash.cr.yp.to](https://kyberslash.cr.yp.to). ## Mitigation status in pqc_kyber crate The issues has not been resolved in the `pqc_kyber` crate. A third-party fork that mitigates this attack vector has been published as [`safe_pqc_kyber`](https://crates.io/crates/safe_pqc_kyber).

GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4 Affected pqc_kyber KyberSlash Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
pqc_kyber
 crates.io
≤ 0.7.1

References

pqc_kyber KyberSlash Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/Argyle-Software/kyber/issues/108
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/bwesterb/argyle-kyber/commit/b5c6ad13f4eece80e59c6ebeafd787ba1519f5f6
pqc_kyber KyberSlash Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/Argyle-Software/kyber
rustsec.org/advisories/rustsec-... WEB
https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2023-0079.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4?
GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4 is a security vulnerability in pqc_kyber KyberSlash involving division timings depending on secrets under General Security Weakness.
Which pqc_kyber KyberSlash versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: pqc_kyber.
What version fixes GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is pqc_kyber affected?
Yes, pqc_kyber is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4?
GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.4 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4?
GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4 is classified under General Security Weakness.
How can I check crates.io dependencies for GHSA-x5j2-g63m-f8g4?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for pqc_kyber'. 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-x5j2-g63m-f8g4",
  "modified" : "2024-04-15T19:41:48Z",
  "published" : "2024-02-09T16:19:53Z",
  "aliases" : [ ],
  "summary" : "pqc_kyber KyberSlash: division timings depending on secrets",
  "details" : "Various Kyber software libraries in various environments leak secret information into timing, specifically because\n\n * these libraries include a line of code that divides a secret numerator by a public denominator,\n * the number of CPU cycles for division in various environments varies depending on the inputs to the division, and\n * this variation appears within the range of numerators used in these libraries.\n\nThe KyberSlash pages track which Kyber [libraries](https://kyberslash.cr.yp.to/libraries.html) have this issue, and include a [FAQ](https://kyberslash.cr.yp.to/faq.html) about the issue.\n\n## Author\n\nThe KyberSlash pages were written by Daniel J. Bernstein. The FAQ originally said \"I\", but some people seemed to have trouble finding this authorship statement, so the FAQ now says \"Bernstein\" instead.\n\n## URL\n\nThe permanent link for the KyberSlash pages is [https://kyberslash.cr.yp.to](https://kyberslash.cr.yp.to).\n\n## Mitigation status in pqc_kyber crate\n\nThe issues has not been resolved in the `pqc_kyber` crate. A third-party fork that mitigates this attack vector has been published as [`safe_pqc_kyber`](https://crates.io/crates/safe_pqc_kyber).\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "crates.io",
      "name" : "pqc_kyber"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "0.7.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Argyle-Software/kyber/issues/108"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/bwesterb/argyle-kyber/commit/b5c6ad13f4eece80e59c6ebeafd787ba1519f5f6"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Argyle-Software/kyber"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2023-0079.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-02-09T16:19:53Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}