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CVE-2018-20187

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely...

5.9 MediumFix available

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key, as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation, not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

1.52%Up 0.7 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 5.9

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key, as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation, not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement.

Record
CVE-2018-20187
CVSS 3.0
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS 2.0
4.3 MediumAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-320
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key, as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation, not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement.

Record
CVE-2018-20187
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-12754 No score

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key, as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation, not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement.

Record
EUVD-2018-12754
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-g9j4-hp3j-g668 5.9

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely...

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key, as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation, not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement.

Record
GHSA-g9j4-hp3j-g668
CVSS 3.0
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2018-20187 5.9

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key, as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation, not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement.

Record
ALPINE-CVE-2018-20187
CVSS 3.0
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-03
OSV 5.9

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key, as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation, not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement.

Record
CVE-2018-20187
CVSS 3.0
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2018-20187 5.9

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key, as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation, not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2018-20187
CVSS 3.0
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2018-20187 5.9

A side-channel issue was discovered in Botan before 2.9.0. An attacker capable of precisely measuring the time taken for ECC key generation may be able to derive information about the high bits of the secret key, as the function to derive the public point from the secret scalar uses an unblinded Montgomery ladder whose loop iteration count depends on the bitlength of the secret. This issue affects only key generation, not ECDSA signatures or ECDH key agreement.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2018-20187
CVSS 3.0
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:10594-1 No score

Botan-2.18.1-1.3 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the Botan-2.18.1-1.3 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:10594-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
botan
Alpine:v3.10
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.11
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.12
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.13
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.14
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.15
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.16
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.17
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.18
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.19
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
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Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
botan
Alpine:v3.20
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Alpine:v3.21
before 2.9.0-r0
2.9.0-r0
botan
Debian:12
before 2.9.0-2
2.9.0-2
botan
Debian:13
before 2.9.0-2
2.9.0-2
botan1.10
Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
1.10.5-11.10.5-1ubuntu11.10.5-1+deb7u1ubuntu0.14.04.11.10.5-1+deb7u1ubuntu0.14.04.1+esm1
None known
botan
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2.4.0-32.4.0-42.4.0-5ubuntu1
None known
Botan
openSUSE:Tumbleweed
before 2.18.1-1.3
2.18.1-1.3

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affectedOSV
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2018-20187 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.9) in Botan Project Botan, published March 8, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.52%, the 74th percentile. Fixed in botan 2.9.0-r0.

References

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