CVE-2024-42098: crypto: ecdh - explicitly zeroize private_key

Severity: medium (CVSS 5.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2024-07-29 · updated 2026-06-17

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: ecdh - explicitly zeroize private_key private_key is overwritten with the key parameter passed in by the caller (if present), or alternatively a newly generated private key. However, it is possible that the caller provides a key (or the newly generated key) which is shorter than the previous key. In that scenario, some key material from the previous key would not be overwritten. The easiest solution is to explicitly zeroize the entire private_key array first. Note that this patch slightly changes the behavior of this function: previously, if the ecc_gen_privkey failed, the old private_key would remain. Now, the private_key is always zeroized. This behavior is consistent with the case where params.key is set and ecc_is_key_valid fails.

Affected products

Linux kernel: before 5.15.162; from 5.16 before 6.1.97; from 6.2 before 6.6.37; from 6.7 before 6.9.8 — fixed in 5.15.162, 6.1.97, 6.6.37, 6.9.8

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 5.15.162, 6.1.97, 6.6.37, 6.9.8. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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