CVE-2023-4421
MEDIUMNSS < 3.61 - Timing Side-Channel Attack via PKCS#1 v1.5 Padding Check
Title source: llmDescription
The NSS code used for checking PKCS#1 v1.5 was leaking information useful in mounting Bleichenbacher-like attacks. Both the overall correctness of the padding as well as the length of the encrypted message was leaking through timing side-channel. By sending large number of attacker-selected ciphertexts, the attacker would be able to decrypt a previously intercepted PKCS#1 v1.5 ciphertext (for example, to decrypt a TLS session that used RSA key exchange), or forge a signature using the victim's key. The issue was fixed by implementing the implicit rejection algorithm, in which the NSS returns a deterministic random message in case invalid padding is detected, as proposed in the Marvin Attack paper. This vulnerability affects NSS < 3.61.
References (3)
Core 3
Core References
Issue Tracking
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1651411
Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2023-53/
Scores
CVSS v3
6.5
EPSS
0.0063
EPSS Percentile
45.1%
Attack Vector
NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Details
CWE
CWE-203
Status
published
Products (1)
mozilla/nss
< 3.6.1
Published
Dec 12, 2023
Tracked Since
Feb 18, 2026