Description
CryptX versions before 0.088_001 for Perl compare AEAD authentication tags in non-constant time in the streaming decrypt_done path.
The decrypt_done($tag) form compares it against the computed tag with memNE (memcmp() != 0), which short-circuits on the first differing byte, so its run time depends on the number of matching leading bytes. This affects all five AEAD modes: GCM, CCM, ChaCha20Poly1305, EAX and OCB. The one-shot *_decrypt_verify helpers are unaffected; they verify the tag inside libtomcrypt with a constant-time comparison.
The timing difference is a tag-verification oracle. An attacker who can submit many candidate tags for the same nonce, ciphertext and associated data while measuring the timing precisely enough may recover the expected tag byte by byte and forge a message that verifies.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIK | CryptX | < 0.088_001 | 0.088_001 |
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 | libcryptx-perl | 0.089-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | libcryptx-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | libcryptx-perl | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | libcryptx-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | libcryptx-perl | No fix yet | — |
Show 4 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 24.04 LTS | libcryptx-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 22.04 LTS | libcryptx-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | libcryptx-perl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | libcryptx-perl | No fix yet | — |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | perl-CryptX +1 | 0.088-2.amzn2023.0.3 | ALAS2023-2026-1834 |
Advisories 3
- WID-SEC-2026-3403 Oracle Communications: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Sep 24, 2026
- ALAS2023-2026-1834 Important: perl-CryptX security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Sep 23, 2026
- NCSC-2026-0375 Kwetsbaarheden verholpen in Oracle Communications NCSC-NL (Netherlands) · Sep 16, 2026