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CVE-2018-6594

Pycrypto generates weak key parameters

7.5 HighFix available

CVE-2018-6594 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Dlitz Pycrypto, published February 3, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.03%, the 81st percentile. Fixed in pycryptodome 3.4.11-1.

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

2.03%Up 0.6 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.5

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Record
CVE-2018-6594
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS 2.0
5.0 MediumAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-326
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Record
CVE-2018-6594
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-0119 No score

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Record
EUVD-2018-0119
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-6528-wvf6-f6qg 8.7

Pycrypto generates weak key parameters

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Record
GHSA-6528-wvf6-f6qg
CVSS 4.0
8.7 HighCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-326
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 7.5

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Record
CVE-2018-6594
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2018-6594 7.5

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2018-6594
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
Show 5 moreShow less
OSVGHSA-6528-wvf6-f6qg 8.7

Pycrypto generates weak key parameters

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Record
GHSA-6528-wvf6-f6qg
CVSS 4.0
8.7 HighCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-326
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2018-6594 7.5

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2018-6594
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2018-0171 No score

Updated python-pycrypto packages fix security vulnerability

The textbook ElGamal implementation is not secure. PyCrypto and some other implementations use the wrong algorithm, which may lead to some information disclosure simply by looking at the encrypted text. For a full description, see https://github.com/dlitz/pycrypto/issues/253 This update includes a fix for this problem backported from pycryptodome.

Record
MGASA-2018-0171
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2018-97 No score

lib/Crypto/PublicKey/ElGamal.py in PyCrypto through 2.6.1 generates weak ElGamal key parameters, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading ciphertext data (i.e., it does not have semantic security in face of a ciphertext-only attack). The Decisional Diffie-Hellman (DDH) assumption does not hold for PyCrypto's ElGamal implementation.

Record
PYSEC-2018-97
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-3616-1 No score

python-crypto vulnerability

It was discovered that Python Crypto incorrectly generated ElGamal key parameters. A remote attacker could possibly use this issue to obtain sensitive information.

Record
USN-3616-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
pycrypto
PyPI
 through 2.6.1 None known
pycryptodome
Debian:12
 before 3.4.11-1
3.4.11-1
pycryptodome
Debian:13
 before 3.4.11-1
3.4.11-1
pycryptodome
Debian:14
 before 3.4.11-1
3.4.11-1
pycrypto
PyPI
 through 2.6.1, plus listed versions
1.9a21.9a51.9a62.02.0.1
Show 7 moreShow less
2.1.02.22.32.42.4.12.52.6
 None known
python-pycrypto
Mageia:5
 before 2.6.1-6.2.mga5
2.6.1-6.2.mga5
python-pycrypto
Mageia:6
 before 2.6.1-9.1.mga6
2.6.1-9.1.mga6
pycrypto
PyPI
 All versions, plus listed versions
1.9a21.9a51.9a62.02.0.1
Show 8 moreShow less
2.1.02.22.32.42.4.12.52.62.6.1
 None known
python-crypto
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS
 before 2.6.1-4ubuntu0.3, plus listed versions
2.6-52.6.1-22.6.1-2build12.6.1-32.6.1-42.6.1-4build12.6.1-4ubuntu0.12.6.1-4ubuntu0.2
2.6.1-4ubuntu0.3
python-crypto
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
 before 2.6.1-6ubuntu0.16.04.3, plus listed versions
2.6.1-5build12.6.1-62.6.1-6build12.6.1-6ubuntu0.16.04.12.6.1-6ubuntu0.16.04.2
2.6.1-6ubuntu0.16.04.3
pycryptodome
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
 before 3.4.7-1ubuntu1, plus listed versions
3.4.6-13.4.7-1
3.4.7-1ubuntu1
python-crypto
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
 before 2.6.1-8ubuntu2, plus listed versions
2.6.1-7build22.6.1-8
2.6.1-8ubuntu2

History

History
WhenChangedSources
2026-11-03aliasesEUVD
2026-11-02createdCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

References

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