CVE-2017-8932 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis
Learn about CVE-2017-8932, a bug in Go's ScalarMult function for curve P-256, allowing key recovery attacks against ECDH. Find mitigation steps and affected versions here.
A vulnerability in the Go programming language's standard library for curve P-256 on amd64 architectures allows for a key recovery attack against Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) due to incorrect results generated for specific input points.
Understanding CVE-2017-8932
This CVE involves a bug in the ScalarMult function implementation in Go versions before 1.7.6 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2, enabling an attacker to extract the scalar input gradually.
What is CVE-2017-8932?
The bug in the ScalarMult function implementation for curve P-256 on amd64 architectures in Go versions before 1.7.6 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2 leads to incorrect results for certain input points. This flaw allows attackers to recover keys used in ECDH.
The Impact of CVE-2017-8932
Exploiting this bug enables a complete key recovery attack against static ECDH, commonly used in libraries for processing JSON Web Tokens (JWT).
Technical Details of CVE-2017-8932
This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The bug in the ScalarMult function implementation for curve P-256 on amd64 architectures in Go versions before 1.7.6 and 1.8.x before 1.8.2 causes incorrect results to be generated for specific input points.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Go versions before 1.7.6
- Go 1.8.x before 1.8.2
Exploitation Mechanism
An adaptive attack can be mounted to progressively extract the scalar input to ScalarMult by submitting crafted points and observing failures to derive the correct output, leading to a full key recovery attack against static ECDH.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2017-8932 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Update Go to version 1.7.6 or 1.8.2 to mitigate the vulnerability.
- Monitor for any unusual activities related to ECDH key extraction.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update software and libraries to the latest secure versions.
- Implement strong key management practices to enhance cryptographic security.
Patching and Updates
Apply patches provided by Go to address the bug in the ScalarMult function implementation for curve P-256.