Description
The OpenPGP specification allows a Cipher Feedback Mode (CFB) malleability-gadget attack that can indirectly lead to plaintext exfiltration, aka EFAIL. NOTE: third parties report that this is a problem in applications that mishandle the Modification Detection Code (MDC) feature or accept an obsolete packet type, not a problem in the OpenPGP specification
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 11 | enigmail | 2:2.0.6.1-4 | — |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSE Package Hub 12 | enigmail | 2.0.4-9.1 | openSUSE-SU-2018:1330-1, openSUSE-SU-2018:1329-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | enigmail | 2.2.4-1.4 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10736-1 |
Advisories 4
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10736-1 enigmail-2.2.4-1.4 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2018:1329-1 Security update for enigmail SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2018:1330-1 Security update for enigmail SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- WID-SEC-2025-1949 S/MIME und OpenPGP verschlüsselten Mails: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Entschlüsselung BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Sep 7, 2025
References
- https://protonmail.com/blog/pgp-vulnerability-efail
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17066419
- https://www.patreon.com/posts/cybersecurity-15-18814817
- http://flaked.sockpuppet.org/2018/05/16/a-unified-timeline.html
- 104162 vdb-entry
- https://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-users/2018-May/060334.html
- https://efail.de
- https://twitter.com/matthew_d_green/status/995996706457243648
- https://www.synology.com/support/security/Synology_SA_18_22
- 1040904 vdb-entry