Description
ChaCha20-Poly1305 is an AEAD cipher, and requires a unique nonce input for every encryption operation. RFC 7539 specifies that the nonce value (IV) should be 96 bits (12 bytes). OpenSSL allows a variable nonce length and front pads the nonce with 0 bytes if it is less than 12 bytes. However it also incorrectly allows a nonce to be set of up to 16 bytes. In this case only the last 12 bytes are significant and any additional leading bytes are ignored. It is a requirement of using this cipher that nonce values are unique. Messages encrypted using a reused nonce value are susceptible to serious confidentiality and integrity attacks. If an application changes the default nonce length to be longer than 12 bytes and then makes a change to the leading bytes of the nonce expecting the new value to be a new unique nonce then such an application could inadvertently encrypt messages with a reused nonce. Additionally the ignored bytes in a long nonce are not covered by the integrity guarantee of this cipher. Any application that relies on the integrity of these ignored leading bytes of a long nonce may be further affected. Any OpenSSL internal use of this cipher, including in SSL/TLS, is safe because no such use sets such a long nonce value. However user applications that use this cipher directly and set a non-default nonce length to be longer than 12 bytes may be vulnerable. OpenSSL versions 1.1.1 and 1.1.0 are affected by this issue. Due to the limited scope of affected deployments this has been assessed as low severity and therefore we are not creating new releases at this time. Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1c (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1b). Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.0k (Affected 1.1.0-1.1.0j).
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenSSL | OpenSSL | Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1c (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1b), Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.0k (Affected 1.1.0-1.1.0j) | — |
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 14 | openssl | 1.1.1c-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | openssl | 1.1.1c-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | openssl | 1.1.1c-1 | — |
| Debian 9 | openssl | 1.1.0k-1~deb9u1 | DSA-4475-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | openssl | 1.1.1-1ubuntu2.1~18.04.2 | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 8 | openssl +3 | 1:1.1.1c-2.el8 | RHSA-2019:3700 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 | openssl-1_1 | 1.1.0i-4.21.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0678-1 |
| SLES 12 SP4 | openssl-1_1 | 1.1.1-2.9.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0787-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP4 | openssl-1_1 | 1.1.1-2.9.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:0787-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | openssl-1_1 | 1.1.1l-1.2 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11127-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.1 | virtualbox | 6.0.10-lp151.2.6.1 | openSUSE-SU-2019:1814-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.0 | openssl-1_1 | 1.1.0i-lp150.3.22.3 | openSUSE-SU-2019:1147-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.0 | virtualbox | 6.0.10-lp151.2.6.1 | openSUSE-SU-2019:1814-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.24 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.20 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.20 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
Show 11 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.19 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.19 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.18 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.18 | openssl +1 | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.17 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.17 | openssl +1 | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.16 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.16 | openssl +1 | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.15 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.15 | openssl +1 | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.14 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.14 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.13 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.13 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.12 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.12 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.11 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.11 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.10 | file | 5.36-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.10 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.9 | openssl | 1.1.1b-r1 | — |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 8 | openssl +3 | 1:1.1.1c-2.el8 | ELSA-2019-3700 |
Advisories 9
- RHSA-2019:3700 Red Hat Security Advisory: openssl security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Sep 21, 2026
- DSA-4475-1 openssl - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2019:1814-1 Security update for virtualbox SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2019:0678-1 Security update for openssl-1_1 SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2019:0787-1 Security update for openssl-1_1 SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2019:1147-1 Security update for openssl-1_1 SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11127-1 libopenssl-1_1-devel-1.1.1l-1.2 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 7, 2025
- WID-SEC-2023-3082 OpenSSL: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Umgehen von Sicherheitsvorkehrungen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 25, 2024
- ELSA-2019-3700 Low: openssl security, bug fix, and enhancement update (Oracle Linux 8) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Nov 14, 2019
References
- https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=f426625b6ae9a7831010750490a5f0ad689c5ba3
- https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20190306.txt
- https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=ee22257b1418438ebaf54df98af4e24f494d1809
- 20190701 [SECURITY] [DSA 4475-1] openssl security update mailing-list
- DSA-4475 vendor-advisory
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2019-5072835.html
- openSUSE-SU-2019:1814 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2019-00c25b9379 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2019-9a0a7c0986 vendor-advisory
- https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2019-5072832.html
- RHSA-2019:3700 vendor-advisory
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2020.html
- https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10365